“Search and rescue efforts continue, and there are missing and unaccounted individuals,” Orong said by phone.
Floods in Cebu City had subsided late on Tuesday (local time), but power was still out in many places, and telecommunications services were intermittent, a Reuters journalist said.
Vehicles left piled up by floodwaters resulting from Typhoon Kalmaegi in Cebu City.Credit: AP
‘The waters kept rising’
Verified videos circulating on social media showed cars and streets under water, with some vehicles carried away in the flow.
After the flood receded in one area of Cebu City, cars that had been shifted by fast-flowing water were left piled on top of each other, some of them overturned.
“We were really anxious because the longer the rains continued, the higher the floodwaters rose,” said John Patajo, a housekeeper in the area.
Parts of Cebu City lie submerged below floodwater from Typhoon Kalmaegi.Credit: AP
“When the waters rose, we went to our second floor. Yet, the waters kept rising, so we decided to head up to our roof.”
The typhoon was expected to leave the Philippines late on Wednesday or early Thursday.
Photos and videos from the Philippine Red Cross showed rescue workers wading through knee-deep floodwaters in Cebu City, using boats to reach stranded residents. In a town on the city’s outskirts, homes were submerged, with only rooftops and top floors visible.
More than 300 flights to and from the affected areas were cancelled on Tuesday, while boats at sea were advised to return.
State weather agency PAGASA had earlier warned of a high risk of “life-threatening and damaging storm surges” that could reach more than 3 metres high in coastal and low-lying communities in the central Philippines.
Vietnam on alert
The Vietnamese government said it was preparing for the worst-case scenario as it braced for the impact of Kalmaegi.
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The typhoon is forecast to make landfall on Thursday night in Vietnam’s central regions, which have already suffered heavy floods that killed at least 40 people and left six others missing over the past week.
“This is a very strong typhoon, which continues to strengthen,” the government said.
Reuters
