Nov 06, Kathmandu - At least 140 people have been confirmed dead and 127 others are still missing after Typhoon Kalmegi, which has battered the central Philippines, triggered unprecedented floods and landslides in various parts of the country, causing widespread damage to life and property. The storm is now moving towards Vietnam.

According to disaster database EM-DAT, Kalmegi has become the deadliest typhoon of 2025 so far. Last year, Trami, which hit the Philippines, was the third deadliest typhoon, killing 191 people.

This time, unprecedented flooding swept away everything from riverside shacks to vehicles and large shipping containers in towns in Cebu province. Public life has been completely disrupted due to the floods.

The National Civil Defense Office had confirmed 114 deaths as of Thursday, but Cebu provincial authorities registered 28 more deaths, bringing the total to 140.

In Lilon town alone, near Cebu City, 35 bodies have been recovered. AFP eyewitnesses saw cars piled on top of each other, roofs of houses collapsed and residents desperately trying to search for loved ones in the mud and rubble.

Local resident Christine Atton recounted the harrowing experience of not being able to save her disabled sister Michelle when the floodwaters swept her away. “We used kitchen knives and crowbars to break open the door, but it didn’t work. The fridge started leaking. My father and I swam out, but my sister got stuck,” she said, tears streaming down her face. “My father said, ‘If we go back, we’ll all die.’”