Typhoon Megi in the Philippines: Death toll rises to 123, military search and rescue efforts

Typhoon Megi is the first storm this year to make landfall in the Philippines, an island nation of more than 7,600 islands that is hit by an average of 20 tropical storms a year.

Philippine authorities said that 86 of those killed by Typhoon Megi were in Baybay, a mountainous area at risk. landslide high ground in the province of Leyte. Here, 236 other people were injured by the storm.

The site of a landslide caused by Tropical Storm Megi at Kantagnos village in Baybay town, Leyte province, Philippines April 13. (Photo: CNN)

Three others drowned in separate provinces, while six are still missing, the Philippine National Disaster Management Agency said.

On April 14, the Philippine military confirmed it would continue search and rescue efforts after the storm.

“Search, rescue and salvage operations are continuing,” a Philippine army infantry unit in Baybay posted on its Facebook account.

Tropical Storm Megi causes damage in Western Visayas, Philippines. (Photo: CNN)

Aerial photos and videos posted by local authorities showed rock and soil drifting down from collapsed slopes, burying coconut plantations and houses in mud. In one area, rescuers had to use rubber boats to reach the landslide point.

Typhoon Megi made landfall in the Philippines on April 10 with sustained winds of up to 65 km/h (40 mph) and gusts of up to 80 km/h (49 mph). The storm has passed.

The village of Kantagnos has been “heavily devastated”, a battalion of engineers and construction workers in Leyte province said on Facebook. “Homes and livelihoods have been damaged, many people are missing and communications are unstable.”

Typhoon Megi caused houses to fall, roofs, and trees to fall… in Mindanao, Philippines. (Photo: CNN)

More than 162,000 residents have been displaced and are currently sheltering in evacuation centers. Meanwhile, more than 41,000 people have had to move in with relatives, Philippine government data shows.

In December 2021, Category 5 typhoon Rai devastated the central Philippines, with the death toll reaching 405 and nearly 1,400 residents injured. Typhoon Haiyan, one of the strongest tropical cyclones ever recorded, killed 6,300 people in 2013.

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