Typhoon “Tino” kills 26, displaces thousands in central Philippines

Manila: At least 26 people were killed and hundreds of thousands displaced as torrential rains from Typhoon “Tino” (international name: Kalmaegi) inundated large parts of the central Philippines on Tuesday, officials said.

Entire towns on the island of Cebu were submerged under floodwaters, with vehicles, trucks, and even shipping containers swept away by powerful currents.

Typhoon Tino unleashed chaos and death as it tore through Samar, Leyte, Bohol, Cebu, and the Panay Islands on Tuesday, leaving a storm-struck nation in its wake.

By 5 pm, the menacing eye of Tino hovered just west of Panay, barreling across the churning Sulu Sea and hurtling toward northern Palawan — each new advisory from Pagasa raising the stakes for all in its path.

Raging winds howled and rain battered communities, sending rivers surging and forcing families to flee for higher ground.

In Cebu, 21 fatalities were confirmed, Civil Defence deputy administrator Rafaelito Alejandro told AFP, adding that most of the victims drowned in rapidly rising waters.

The national death toll has climbed to 26.

Most of the victims died from drowning, the official said.

Tino’s wrath toppled trees, flooded roads, and snapped power lines, plunging thousands into darkness — and uncertainty — across the Visayas.

‘Unprecedented’ Flooding in Cebu

State weather forecaster Charmagne Varilla reported that the area around Cebu City received 183 mm of rain in just 24 hours — far exceeding its monthly average of 131 millimeters.

“The situation in Cebu is really unprecedented,” Cebu Governor Pamela Baricuatro said in a Facebook post on Tuesday.

“We were expecting the winds to be the dangerous part, but it’s the floodwaters that are truly putting our people at risk. The devastation is heartbreaking,” she added.

Local disaster officials said rescue teams were still trying to reach residents trapped by floodwaters in Cebu City and nearby towns.

Among the confirmed fatalities were two children, according to Ethel Minoza, a city disaster response officer.

In Leyte province, an elderly resident drowned inside their home, while a man in Bohol was killed by a falling tree.

Thousands flee homes

Nearly 400,000 residents were preemptively evacuated from the typhoon’s path, Alejandro said in a press briefing.

In Cebu, some families still living in tent cities after a 6.9-magnitude earthquake in late September were forcibly moved for their safety, provincial information officer Rhon Ramos confirmed.

Cebu resident Don del Rosario, 28, said the floods rose so quickly that people had no time to flee.

“The water rose so fast,” he told AFP. “By 4 am, it was already uncontrollable. People couldn’t get out. This is the worst I’ve seen in 28 years.”

Military chopper crashes during relief mission

In a separate development, a Philippine military Super Huey helicopter deployed for relief operations crashed on northern Mindanao late Tuesday afternoon.

The aircraft was en route to Butuan City when it went down, the Eastern Mindanao Command said in a statement.
Search and recovery operations are ongoing. The military has not confirmed if there were any survivors.

Typhoon path and impact

Pagasa said Typhoon Tino is currently moving westward through the Visayas, carrying sustained winds of 155 km/h and gusts reaching 180 km/h.

The storm has toppled trees, destroyed power lines, and cut off communication in several areas.

Scientists have long warned that climate change is intensifying storms in the region.

Warmer oceans and increased atmospheric moisture are making typhoons stronger and wetter, increasing the risk of deadly floods and landslides.

The Philippines, one of the most disaster-prone countries in the world, is struck by an average of 20 storms and typhoons each year.

According to Pagasa’s Varilla, Tino is the 20th tropical cyclone to hit the country this year, with “three to five more” expected before the year ends.

In September, the country was battered by two major storms, including Super Typhoon Ragasa, which caused widespread destruction in Luzon before heading toward Taiwan, where it killed 14 people.

[With inputs from AFP]