Typhoon Kalmaegi Kills 59 In Philippines As It Threatens Vietnam

Typhoon Kalmaegi killed 59 people and displaced nearly half a million more in the Philippines as it tracks a path toward Vietnam.

One of the deadliest typhoons to hit the Philippines in recent years pounded central provinces, particularly Cebu, which reported the most casualties as widespread flooding submerged homes and forced residents to shelter on their rooftops. 

Many of the casualties were hit by falling trees and debris or swept away by floods, according to disaster response officials. A Philippine Air Force chopper deployed to aid typhoon response crashed, killing six crew aboard, the military said.

Kalmaegi, locally called Tino, has weakened and is now packing maximum sustained winds of 120 kilometers (75 miles) per hour and gustiness of up to 165 kilometers per hour, according to the latest bulletin by weather bureau Pagasa. The second-highest alert in a five-level typhoon warning system remains up in parts of Palawan province near the South China Sea.

The typhoon is poised to exit the Philippines early Thursday, before heading to Vietnam, which is still reeling from the massive flooding that killed dozens, according to weather forecasters. 

Kalmaegi, the 20th storm to strike the Philippines this year, is putting a spotlight on the ongoing scandal over corruption in flood-control projects worth billions of pesos that has triggered public outrage. The nation is battered by around 20 cyclones a year, making it one of the world's disaster-prone nations. 

In Cebu province, which is still recovering from a recent earthquake that killed dozens, its new governor, Pamela Baricuatro, has appealed for help. 

“26 billion (pesos) of flood control funds for Cebu yet we are flooded to the max,” Baricuatro said in a Facebook post.