by Xinhua Writers Dario Agnote, Zhang Yisheng
MANILA, Nov. 7 (Xinhua) -- Days after Typhoon Kalmaegi unleashed torrential rains that triggered floods and landslides, rescuers are still pulling bodies from the mud and debris in some of the hardest-hit areas in the Philippines.
As floodwaters from swollen rivers in the central provinces recede, a grim landscape has emerged -- homes flattened, streets buried in sludge and wreckage, and vehicles piled atop one another like discarded toys.
"It's like a nightmare," said a Cebu resident who returned to what was once her family home, now just a tangle of broken walls and soaked furniture. "We've seen storms before, but nothing like this."
The devastation left by the typhoon continues to unfold across the country, with the death toll climbing to 188 and at least 135 people still missing, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said Friday.
Nearly 100 others have been reported injured, the NDRRMC said.
In Canlaon City on Negros Island, several residents were killed and others remain missing after Kalmaegi's relentless rains triggered volcanic mudflows from the slopes of Kanlaon Volcano. The torrents of mud and ash, known as lahars, buried homes and swept away everything in their path.
The deadly flows occurred because past eruptions since 2024 had left thick deposits of volcanic material on Kanlaon's slopes. When Kalmaegi struck, its heavy rainfall loosened the debris and sent it cascading downhill into nearby villages.
Local authorities had long warned of the danger, but the sheer volume of rain made the disaster unavoidable. Survivors described the onslaught as "a wall of mud" moving faster than they could run.
So far, the typhoon has displaced hundreds of thousands of people, forcing many to seek refuge in evacuation centers.
The NDRRMC reported that about 2.26 million people were affected across eight regions. Of these, more than 300,000 people remain in over 3,000 evacuation centers, relying on relief goods and government assistance.
Philippine President Ferdinand Romualdez Marcos on Thursday declared a state of national calamity, citing the massive destruction caused by Kalmaegi and the looming threat of another powerful storm, Fung-wong, which could intensify into a super typhoon as it approaches the country in the following days.
The declaration is expected to speed up rescue, relief, and rehabilitation operations, and allow quicker access to emergency funds. "That gives us faster access to some of the emergency funds," Marcos said.
The government has already released 760 million pesos (approximately 12.89 million U.S. dollars) in financial aid to affected local government units.
Meanwhile, the state weather bureau reported on Friday that Fung-wong has intensified into a severe tropical storm, moving north-westward at 10 km per hour with maximum sustained winds of 95 km per hour and gusts of up to 115 km per hour. The storm may make landfall over northern or central Luzon by Monday.
If forecasts hold, Fung-wong will be the 21st typhoon to hit the Philippines this year, already surpassing the country's annual average of 20.
For now, rescue teams keep digging through the mud, clinging to the hope of finding survivors, or at least bringing peace to the families still waiting. ■