At least 140 people have been confirmed dead and 127 others remain missing after Typhoon Tino unleashed torrential rains and catastrophic flooding across the central Philippines, according to official data released Thursday, as the storm moved toward Vietnam.
Cebu province bore the brunt of the destruction, with floodwaters described as “unprecedented” sweeping through towns and cities, washing away vehicles, riverside homes, and even large shipping containers.
The national civil defense office reported 114 fatalities, excluding an additional 28 deaths recorded by Cebu provincial authorities.
In the town of Liloan, near Cebu City, rescuers recovered 35 bodies from inundated neighborhoods. AFP journalists on the ground witnessed cars stacked atop one another, roofs torn off houses, and residents struggling to dig through thick mud.
On nearby Negros Island, at least 30 people were killed when intense rainfall triggered volcanic mudflows in Canlaon City.
“Eruptions of Kanlaon volcano since last year deposited volcanic material on its upper sections. When the rain fell, those deposits rumbled down onto the villages,” police Lieutenant Stephen Polinar told AFP.
The national death toll also includes six soldiers who died when a military helicopter crashed while on a relief operation.