Philippines Declares National Emergency After Deadly Typhoon Kalmaegi
Philippine President Ferdinand Romualdez Marcos declared a national state of emergency due to the impact of Typhoon Kalmaegi and in anticipation of another approaching typhoon, local media reported Thursday.
“Due to the extent of the affected areas that were struck by Tino (Kalmaegi) and that will be affected by Uwan (Fung-wong), the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) has proposed, and I have approved, the declaration of a national state of emergency,” Marcos was quoted as saying by the Philippine News Agency.
Kalmaegi, the 20th typhoon to hit the Philippines this year, exited the country early Thursday morning, leaving at least 140 dead and 127 missing, according to a new official toll.
The NDRRMC said that Kalmaegi affected more than 500,000 families, or more than 1.9 million Filipinos, as the Philippines prepares to face another storm that could intensify into a super typhoon and strike the country this weekend.
According to EM-DAT, a global database of natural disasters, Typhoon Kalmaegi is the deadliest in the Philippines this year. Last year, Typhoon Trami caused 191 deaths in the archipelago.
