(MENAFN) At least 66 people have died and hundreds of thousands forced from their homes as Typhoon Kalmaegi tore through the central Philippines, authorities report. The storm caused severe flooding across Cebu, the most populated island in the Visayas region, where 49 deaths were recorded and 26 people remain missing.

Videos from the region show residents stranded on rooftops, while vehicles and shipping containers were swept away by rising waters. Among the fatalities were six crew members of a military helicopter that crashed on Mindanao while supporting relief operations. The Philippine Air Force confirmed that the aircraft went down near Agusan del Sur, prompting search and rescue missions.

Though weakened since its landfall on Tuesday morning, Kalmaegi—locally named Tino—continued to bring winds of over 80 mph (130 km/h) as it moved across the Visayas and toward the South China Sea. Rescue operations have been hampered by debris and flood-blocked roads, delaying aid delivery.

“This is the worst flood I've ever experienced,” said volunteer rescuer Carlos Jose Lañas, describing rivers overflowing and emergency teams struggling to cope with the scale of the disaster. Cebu governor Pamela Baricuatro called the situation “unprecedented” and declared a state of calamity to accelerate relief efforts.

Most fatalities resulted from drowning as torrents of muddy water swept through towns and hillsides, damaging homes and leaving thick mud deposits. Thousands sought refuge in upper floors of buildings as floodwaters engulfed entire neighborhoods. National disaster authorities reported that over 400,000 people have been displaced.

The Philippines faces an average of 20 typhoons annually, and this disaster follows recent extreme weather events, including back-to-back typhoons in September and a 6.9-magnitude earthquake that struck central islands, including Cebu. Typhoon Kalmaegi is forecast to continue toward Vietnam, which is currently experiencing record rainfall.

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