Philippines: Typhoon Kalmaegi Death Toll Rises to 66

The death toll from Typhoon Kalmaegi in the Philippines has reached at least 66, according to the civil defense's latest report on this disaster that caused severe flooding. "The major urban areas were most affected," explained Rafaelito Alejandro, a civil defense official, on local radio. He noted that 49 of the 66 victims were recorded in the Cebu region (central Philippines). Entire cities in this province were flooded on Tuesday, with residents seeking refuge on rooftops to escape the muddy waters that swept away cars, trucks, and even large shipping containers, as shown in videos verified by AFP. Governor Pamela Baricuatro described the situation as "truly unprecedented," referring to the flooding as "simply devastating" in a Facebook post. Nearly 400,000 people had been preemptively evacuated from the typhoon's path, Alejandro stated on Tuesday. Kalmaegi made landfall on the eastern part of the country just before midnight on Monday (15:00 GMT), hitting the Dinagat Islands province, according to the national meteorological service. Each year, around twenty storms or typhoons strike or approach the Philippines, with the country's poorest regions typically suffering the most. Typhoon Ragasa and Storm Bualoi, both deadly, had already hit the country in September. Scientists indicate that climate change driven by human activity is making extreme weather events more frequent, deadlier, and more destructive.