CEBU: The death toll from Typhoon Kalmaegi in the Philippines climbed past 90 on Wednesday as the devastating impact on hard-hit Cebu province became clearer after the worst flooding in recent memory.
Floodwaters described as unprecedented had rushed through towns and cities, sweeping away cars, trucks and even massive shipping containers.
On Wednesday, Cebu spokesman Rhon Ramos told AFP that 35 bodies had been recovered from flooded areas of Liloan, a town that is part of provincial capital Cebu City’s metro area.
The grim news brought the toll for Cebu to 76. Earlier in the day, national civil defence deputy administrator Rafaelito Alejandro confirmed at least 17 deaths in other provinces.
“It was the major cities that got hit (with floods), highly urbanised areas,” Alejandro said, adding that 26 people remained missing.
“All the floods have subsided. Our challenge now is the clearing of this debris that is blocking our roads.”
AFP reporters on Wednesday morning spoke with residents as they cleaned up streets that a day before had been rivers.
“The flood here yesterday was really severe,” Reynaldo Vergara, 53, told AFP, adding that everything in his small shop had been washed away.
“The river overflowed. That’s where the water came from,” he said.
“Around four or five in the morning, the water was so strong that you couldn’t even step outside … nothing like this has ever happened. The water was raging.”
Source: CNA
