Rescuers bring a local in Cebu, Philippines to safety on Tuesdsay after the area is hit by severe flooding caused by Typhoon Kalmaegi. — XINHUA/VNA Photo

HÀ NỘI — At least 66 people have died and dozens remained missing following severe flooding caused by Typhoon Kalmaegi in central areas of the Philippines as of Wednesday, according to local authorities. 

The powerful storm unleashed heavy rains and floods across the central region of the Southeast Asian nation, submerging homes and forcing thousands to evacuate.

Cebu, the hardest-hit province, declared a state of emergency as many residential areas were submerged, forcing residents to climb onto rooftops awaiting rescue.

According to Assistant Secretary of the the Office of Civil Defence Bernardo Rafaelito Alejandro IV, most of the victims were in Cebu, where heavy rains and flash floods caused rivers to rise, sweeping away vehicles and homes.

Other fatalities were reported in Southern Leyte and Bohol.

Among the fatalities were six military personnel whose helicopter crashed in Agusan del Sur on the island of Mindanao during a humanitarian mission.

Prior to the storm’s landfall, the Philippine authorities evacuated around 400,000 people to safe areas. More than 3,500 passengers and truck drivers were stranded at nearly 100 ports due to a ban on vessels leaving harbour, and at least 186 domestic flights were canceled because of the severe weather.

The country’s meteorological agency reported that Cebu City received up to 183mm of rainfall in the 24 hours before Typhoon Kalmaegi made landfall, well above the November monthly average of 131mm.

The Philippines, which experiences an average of 20 storms annually, frequently suffers heavy losses, especially in poverty-stricken areas. Scientists warn that climate change is making storms increasingly intense and destructive. — VNA/VNS