Kalmaegi Leaves 142 Dead in Philippines as Vietnam Orders Mass Evacuations

Overview

• Officials report at least 142 dead and 127 missing after unprecedented flooding and landslides in central Philippines, with Cebu among the hardest-hit areas.
• More than 500,000 people were displaced as President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. declared a national state of calamity to release relief funds and cap prices of essential goods.
• The Joint Typhoon Warning Center forecasts Kalmaegi to strengthen over the South China Sea and approach Vietnam as a Category 4 system with winds near 215 km/h.
• Vietnam has begun moving about 350,000 residents from high-risk zones in central provinces, issuing urgent, door-to-door warnings ahead of the storm’s expected landfall.
• Disaster database EM-DAT lists Kalmaegi as the deadliest cyclone globally in 2025, while experts note extreme rainfall in Cebu and recent heavy rains in Vietnam amplify landslide and flash-flood dangers.