At least 26 people died in the Philippines due to typhoon Kalmaegi, with hundreds of thousands of residents forced to evacuate their homes. The ABS-CBN News channel reported on November 4 that the island of Cebu accounted for the majority of fatalities, with 21 deaths recorded there as flooding submerged many settlements. Civil defense administrator Rafaelito Alejandro stated that most victims died from drowning.
The typhoon brought maximum wind speeds of 130 km/h, with gusts reaching 180 km/h, causing power outages and traffic disruptions. In the Dinagat Islands and eastern Visayas archipelago, wind gusts topped 205 km/h. Over 150,000 people were evacuated on November 3 as authorities warned of torrential rains, winds, and waves up to 3 meters high. Residents on Negros island faced additional risks from potential volcanic mudslides triggered by heavy rainfall near the active Kanlaon volcano.
Despite the devastation, shopping malls, casinos, and universities in several megacities closed temporarily, while tourist activity in the region remained unaffected. Earlier on November 4, two deaths were also reported due to the typhoon’s impact.
