(Adnkronos) – The death toll in the Philippines from Typhoon Kalmaegi has risen to at least 66. The typhoon is now crossing the South China Sea and is heading, slightly intensified, towards Vietnam, where it is expected to make landfall on Thursday night. The Hanoi government has said it is preparing for the worst-case scenario, stating in a note that “this is a very strong typhoon, which continues to strengthen after entering the South China Sea.”
Meanwhile, in the most affected Philippine province, Cebu, residents are facing the devastation left behind by the typhoon: houses reduced to rubble, streets choked with debris, and lives turned upside down. Incidentally, Typhoon Kalmaegi struck Cebu just over a month after a 6.9 magnitude earthquake hit the northern part of the province, causing the death of dozens of people and displacing thousands. Among the 66 victims are also six Filipino soldiers whose helicopter crashed in Agusan del Sur, on Mindanao island, during a humanitarian mission. The disaster agency reported 26 missing and 10 injured.
