Death toll from Philippines typhoon at 39 in Cebu, provincial official says

Manilla: The death toll from Typhoon Kalmaegi that hit the central Philippines on Tuesday has risen to 39 on the island of Cebu, a local government official said.

The deaths were as a result of drowning and people being struck by debris, provincial information officer Ainjeliz Orong said in a phone message. The powerful storm unleashed heavy rains and floods across the region, forcing thousands to evacuate.

In a related incident, a Philippine military helicopter crashed on Tuesday killing six crew members while on a disaster assistance mission following the arrival of Typhoon Kalmaegi, the armed forces said.

The military said a search mission recovered six bodies believed to be those of the pilot and crew of the Huey helicopter on the island of Mindanao. The death toll in the central Philippines rose to 40 late on Tuesday, authorities said.