In the Philippines, the typhoon killed 59 people and forced half a million to leave their homes

“ At least 59 people have died and nearly half a million more have been forced to evacuate by Typhoon Kalmaegi, one of the deadliest storms to hit the Philippines in years. Source: Bloomberg Details: Typhoon Kalmaegi (locally known as Tino) caused widespread flooding in the country’s central provinces, especially Cebu, where the highest number of victims was recorded. According to reports from the emergency services, flash floods inundated entire settlements, forcing people to take refuge on the roofs of their houses. Most of the dead were victims of falling trees, building debris or were washed away by powerful water flows. During the rescue operation, a helicopter of the Philippine Air Force crashed, six crew members died. According to the latest data from the National Meteorological Service (PAGASA), the typhoon has weakened somewhat. The maximum sustained wind speed is now 120 kilometers per hour with gusts up to 165 km/h. However, in some areas of the province of Palawan, located near the South China Sea, the second highest level of danger from the five-level typhoon warning scale continues to operate. Forecasters predict that the storm will leave the territory of the Philippines on Thursday morning and head for Vietnam. Kalmaegi became the 20th cyclone to hit the Philippines this year and has drawn renewed attention to an ongoing corruption scandal involving the embezzlement of billions of pesos earmarked for flood relief projects. Battered by about twenty powerful storms every year, the Philippines is one of the most disaster-prone countries in the world.”, — write: www.pravda.com.ua