WEB DESK: Typhoon Kalmaegi has claimed at least 142 lives and left 127 others missing after triggering catastrophic flooding in the central Philippines, according to official data released on Thursday. The storm is now en route to Vietnam, escalating concerns there.
Disaster database EM-DAT identifies Kalmaegi as the deadliest typhoon globally in 2025. For comparison, last year’s Typhoon Trami, also in the Philippines, was the third deadliest, with 191 fatalities.
Described as unprecedented, floodwaters surged through towns and cities in Cebu province earlier this week, sweeping away cars, shanty homes along rivers, and even enormous shipping containers.
The national civil defense office on Thursday confirmed 114 fatalities, a figure excluding an additional 28 deaths separately reported by Cebu provincial authorities. Over half a million Filipinos remain displaced.
In Liloan, near Cebu City, where 35 bodies have been recovered, scenes of devastation were stark. Floodwaters left cars stacked atop one another and roofs torn off buildings. Residents worked to clear mud from what remained of their homes.
President Ferdinand Marcos declared a “state of national calamity” on Thursday, enabling the government to release relief funds and enforce price controls on essential goods. During a press briefing, he warned, “Unfortunately, another typhoon with potential for greater strength is approaching.”
Tropical storm Fung-wong, located more than 1,500 kilometers east of the Philippines, is gathering strength as it heads toward Luzon, the country’s main island. It may intensify to super typhoon status before making landfall on Monday.
Scientists caution that human-driven climate change is contributing to stronger storms. Warmer oceans enable typhoons to intensify more rapidly, while a warmer atmosphere holds more moisture, resulting in heavier rainfall events.
In Liloan, the aftermath of Typhoon Kalmaegi reveals crushed vehicles and extensive destruction a grim testament to the storm’s ferocity.
As Kalmaegi moves toward Vietnam, its wind speeds intensified on Thursday. Authorities fear it could worsen existing damage from a week of severe flooding there, which has already resulted in 47 deaths. The typhoon is forecast to hit central Vietnam late Thursday, with waves reaching up to eight meters (26 feet) and powerful storm surges, according to the national weather bureau.
Vietnam typically experiences ten typhoons or tropical storms annually, either affecting its shores directly or nearby. However, Kalmaegi will be the 13th storm of this year alone.
Meanwhile, in the Philippines, Kalmaegi marks the country’s 20th storm of 2025 matching its annual average. According to state weather specialist Charmagne Varilla, an additional three to five storms may still strike before the end of December.
