Helicopter Down During Relief Mission as Kalmaegi Batters Central Philippines
A Philippine Air Force Super Huey helicopter carrying five personnel crashed Monday in the southern province of Agusan del Sur while en route to support relief operations after Typhoon Kalmaegi, authorities said. The aircraft went down near Loreto town, and search-and-rescue teams were working to locate the crew, the military's Eastern Mindanao Command reported.
Officials did not immediately disclose the condition of the airmen aboard or what might have caused the crash. Military and local responders continued search efforts amid hazardous weather and difficult conditions in terrain affected by the storm.
Typhoon Impacts and Ongoing Response
Kalmaegi was last tracked over coastal waters off Jordan town in Guimaras province, with sustained winds of about 130 kph (81 mph) and gusts up to 180 kph (112 mph). Forecasts indicated the storm would move into the South China Sea by late Tuesday or early Wednesday after passing Palawan in the west.
Authorities reported at least five deaths linked to the typhoon. An elderly resident drowned in Southern Leyte amid a provincewide power outage; another person died after being struck by a fallen tree in Bohol; and provincial officials in Cebu reported three fatalities as floods inundated multiple towns and villages.
"We have received so many calls from people asking us to rescue them from roofs and from their houses, but it’s impossible," Gwendolyn Pang, secretary-general of the Philippine Red Cross, told The Associated Press. "There are so many debris, you see cars floating so we have to wait for the flood to subside."
Cebu remains vulnerable following a 6.9-magnitude earthquake on Sept. 30 that killed at least 79 people and left thousands displaced when houses collapsed or were severely damaged.
On Homonhon island in Guiuan, Eastern Samar — one of the first areas struck by Kalmaegi — strong winds ripped off roofs or damaged roughly 300 mostly rural shanties, Mayor Annaliza Gonzales Kwan said. She reported no deaths or injuries and added, "There was no flooding at all, but just strong wind. We're OK. We'll make this through. We've been through a lot, and bigger than this."
Evacuations, Transport Disruptions and Warnings
Before the storm’s landfall, more than 387,000 people evacuated to safer ground across eastern and central provinces. Officials warned of torrential rains, destructive winds and storm surges up to three meters (nearly 10 feet).
The coast guard barred interisland ferries and fishing boats from sailing in rough seas, leaving more than 3,500 passengers and cargo truck drivers stranded at nearly 100 seaports. At least 186 domestic flights were canceled as airports adjusted operations for safety.
The Philippines, which faces roughly 20 typhoons and storms each year and frequent earthquakes and volcanic activity, remains one of the world’s most disaster-prone countries. Officials and humanitarian agencies were mobilizing to assess damage, support affected communities and continue search-and-rescue operations related to the helicopter crash.
Reporters Joeal Calupitan and Aaron Favila contributed to this report. Associated Press
