At least 85 people have lost their lives and hundreds of thousands have been forced to flee their homes as Typhoon Kalmaegi, one of the strongest storms this year, swept through the central Philippines. The storm caused severe flooding across the island of Cebu, where 49 deaths were reported. Officials also confirmed that 75 people remain missing and 17 others have been injured. Among the dead are six crew members of a military helicopter that crashed on Mindanao island while delivering aid. The Philippine Air Force said the aircraft lost contact before crashing near Agusan del Sur, and all six bodies have been recovered.
Known locally as Typhoon Tino, Kalmaegi has weakened since it made landfall on Tuesday but continues to bring strong winds reaching up to 80 mph (130 km/h). The storm is moving across the Visayas region and is expected to exit into the South China Sea. More than 400,000 people have been displaced, and entire communities remain underwater
