---
title: "Typhoon Kalmaegi kills at least 58 in the Philippines, heads toward Vietnam"
description: "CEBU, Philippines, Nov 5 (Reuters) - At least 58 people were dead after Typhoon Kalmaegi left a trail of destruction in the central Philippines and continued to batter parts of Palawan island on Wednesday as it headed toward the South China Sea."
type: "NewsArticle"
publisher: "Daily Maverick"
site: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za"
section: "Newsdeck"
author: "Reuters"
author_url: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/author/reuters/"
canonical_url: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2025-11-05-typhoon-kalmaegi-kills-at-least-58-in-the-philippines-heads-toward-vietnam/"
published: "2025-11-05T04:42:18"
updated: "2025-11-05T04:42:19"
lang: "en-ZA"
word_count: 216
---

# Typhoon Kalmaegi kills at least 58 in the Philippines, heads toward Vietnam

> CEBU, Philippines, Nov 5 (Reuters) - At least 58 people were dead after Typhoon Kalmaegi left a trail of destruction in the central Philippines and continued to batter parts of Palawan island on Wednesday as it headed toward the South China Sea.

By Reuters · Published 5 November 2025, 06:42 SAST · Updated 5 November 2025, 06:42 SAST

## Key points
- As storm Kalmaegi wreaks havoc across the Philippines, leaving a trail of destruction and a missing persons list longer than a tourist's to-do in Cebu, the only thing more turbulent than the weather is the nation's ongoing battle with natural disasters.
- Six military personnel died in a helicopter crash during a humanitarian mission in Agusan del Sur amid severe flooding.
- Cebu province, a key tourist destination, faces widespread destruction with 13 individuals reported missing as floodwaters recede.
- Tropical Storm Kalmaegi, locally known as Tino, has displaced over 200,000 people and is expected to regain strength over the South China Sea.
- The storm, packing winds of 120 kph, is the 20th to hit the Philippines this year and is moving towards Vietnam, prompting local preparations.

## Content

By Adrian Portugal and Eloisa Lopez

Among the fatalities were six military personnel whose [helicopter crashed](https://www.reutersconnect.com/all?search=all%3AL1N3WG02L&linkedFromStory=true) in Agusan del Sur on the island of Mindanao during a humanitarian mission.

Scenes of devastation emerged in the province of Cebu, a major tourist hub, as floodwaters receded, revealing destroyed homes, overturned vehicles, and widespread debris. The disaster agency reported 13 people missing.

The devastation from Kalmaegi, locally named Tino, comes just over a month after a magnitude [6.9 earthquake](https://www.reutersconnect.com/all?search=all%3AL3N3VJ00B&linkedFromStory=true) struck northern Cebu, killing dozens and displacing thousands.

Kalmaegi, which has weakened after making landfall early Tuesday, is forecast to regain strength while over the South China Sea, state weather PAGASA said in its latest bulletin.

More than 200,000 people were evacuated across the Visayas region, including parts of southern Luzon and northern Mindanao, ahead of a storm that submerged homes and caused widespread flooding and power outages.

Packing winds of 120 kph and gusts of up to 165 kph, Kalmaegi, the 20th storm to hit the Philippines this year, is heading towards Vietnam where preparations are underway ahead of its expected landfall on Friday.

In September, [Super Typhoon Ragasa](https://www.reutersconnect.com/all?search=all%3AL2N3V9064&linkedFromStory=true) swept across northern Luzon, forcing schools and government offices to shut down as it brought fierce winds and torrential rain.

(Reporting by Karen Lema; Editing by Martin Petty)