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| This riverside community in Talisay City was nearly wiped out by floodwaters (FB photo) |
At least 92 people are reported to have died and dozens more missing from Typhoon Kalmaegi (Tino in the Philippines) which devastated Central Philippines on Tuesday.
The typhoon, which packed sustained winds of 130
kilometers per hour and gusts of up 180 khp, lingered until before noon Wednesday,
before intensifying slightly as it headed out to the South China Sea on the way
to Vietnam and Thailand.
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| Basahin ang detalye! |
Hardest hit was the province of Cebu, which is still
recovering from a massive killer earthquake last month that has set off a series
of aftershocks.
The provincial government there confirmed a death toll
of 92 in the province alone, with most of the victims drowning in floodwaters that
washed away everything in their paths, including cars and buses, and trapped
people on their roofs.
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| Cars were swept away and ended up piled on top of each other in this ritzy subdivision in Cebu City\ (screen grab from DZMM Teleradyo) |
The biggest number of fatalities was recorded in
Liloan town, where 36 residents died when the Cotcot River overflowed and
inundated riverbank communities and gated subdivisions.
The other fatalities were recorded in Compostela,
16; Cebu City, Danao City and Mandaue City with 9 each; Talisay City, 7; Balamban,
6; and Consolacion, 1.
Separately, the Office of Civil Defense said that 62
other people were reported missing in the neighboring provinces of Negros Occidental and Negros Oriental,
which were also pummeled by heavy rain and strong winds.
The entire Cebu province has been placed under a
state of calamity to allow the local government to access much needed funds for
the victims and rehabilitation works. Relief efforts are underway.
In several interviews, Cebu Governor Pam Baricuatro
said the provincial government is doing all it could to help the victims. She
said the massive floods were totally unexpected and were the worst to have been
seen in the province.
Residents of the devastated areas including an upscale
residential area in Cebu City said the floodwaters engulfed the ground level of
their houses within minutes, prompting them to clamber up the upper floors or roofs
in panic.
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| Cebu City residents escape to the roofs of their houses to avoid being washed away (FB) |
Others were not as lucky, as they were swept away by
the floods, along with a lot of debris, before they could get to a safe place.
Another hard-hit area was a riverside community in
Talisay City, which was wiped out entirely by raging waters from the swollen
river, despite flood control structures built to protect them.
Public Works and Highways Secretary Vince Dizon said
during a tour of the stricken area that flood control projects there need to be
improved as they are inadequate, if not faulty.
