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typhoon

Typhoon Kalmaegi Devastates Philippines And Vietnam, Killing Nearly 200

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Typhoon Kalmaegi has devastated both the Philippines and Vietnam, killing nearly 200 people. According to recent figures from both nations, at least 188 people died in the Philippines and five in Vietnam. 

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The storm is now thought to be heading to Cambodia and Laos after it tore through Vietnam on Thursday with wind speeds reaching up to 92 miles-per-hour, the BBC reports. 

Vietnam’s central coast experienced uprooted trees, destroyed homes and buildings, and debris everywhere. Citizens have flocked to take shelter in schools and other public buildings while the army is deployed to help take on the damage. 

Authorities in Vietnam have also warned residents of potential flooding in certain areas. This past week alone central Vietnam has experienced extreme rainfall that led to the deaths of 50 people.

The Philippines were also hit with heavy rainfall, leading to landslides in residential areas. Many low-income neighborhoods were destroyed by flash flooding, and the death toll on Friday was reported to be 188 with another 135 people listed as missing. 

The Philippines government declared a state of calamity across the nation, and they’re already gearing up for another typhoon which is currently building up in the Pacific Ocean. 

In preparation for Typhoon Kalmaegi, Vietnam also deployed their military this week with more than 260,000 soldiers and personnel for relief efforts with over 6,700 vehicles and aircrafts prepared to help with recovery efforts. 

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Airports, expressways, and other transportation services throughout the country were closed with hundreds of thousands of citizens being evacuated. Dak Lak province experienced a major influx in calls for help from hundreds of residents when the typhoon first made landfall. 

According to local media reports in Vietnam, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh hosted an online meeting in order to organize and coordinate emergency services and response teams. 

“We must reach isolated areas and ensure people have food, drinking water, and essential supplies,” he said. “No one should be left hungry or cold.”

In the Philippines, tens of thousands were evacuated mainly from central areas including Cebu, a populous island and tourist destination. Cars were swept through the streets and flooding devastated the area. 

The Typhoon was reported to have dumped the equivalent of a month’s worth of rain on the island within 24 hours. 

Residents are now starting to clean up their neighborhoods from mud, trees, and overall wreckage. 

The BBC reported: “Early on Thursday, Philippines President Ferdinand Marcos Jr declared a state of emergency, the threshold of which involves mass casualty, major damage to property, and disruption to means of livelihoods and the normal way of life for people in the affected areas.”

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2 Million Evacuated In Southern China As Typhoon Ragasa Unleashes Deadly Flooding In Taiwan

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Around 2 million people in southern China have been evacuated as an intense typhoon makes its way through one of the most populated coasts in the world. Deadly flooding from Typhoon Ragasa has already taken over Taiwan and killed at least 17 people.

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New Resort In The Philippines Sparks Debate Over Conservation And ‘Abuse Of Natural Resources’ 

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The new Captain’s Peak Garden and Resort located in the famous Chocolate Hills of the Philippines is meant to give visitors an exclusive experience of lush scenery. However, the public and government officials are viewing the resort as a “blatant abuse of natural resources,” calling for an investigation into how the resort was able to be built where it was in the first place.

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Philippines Officials Accuse Chinese Coastguard Of Intentionally Colliding With Vessels

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This Monday, officials from the Philippines accused the Chinese coastguard of “intentionally” colliding with their vessels that were on a resupply mission in a part of the South China Sea, according to reports from Reuters. 

Both China and the Philippine’s blamed each other for the collisions, with the most serious one being this past Sunday; no one was harmed luckily.

China stated that the Philippine boats “bumped dangerously with Chinese fishing vessels” and coastguard vessels. On Monday, China’s embassy in Manila stated that they “called on the Philippines government to stop causing trouble and provocation at sea and to stop smearing China’s reputation with groundless attacks,” according to Reuters.  

On the Philippine’s end, officials from their coastguard, foreign ministry, defense ministry, national security council, and armed forces have condemned the Chinese coast guard for their actions and handling of the collisions. 

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US national security adviser Jake Sullivan told his Philippine counterpart, Eduardo Ano, that they have the US’s support, emphasizing that they too believed China’s actions were “dangerous and unlawful.”

Gilberto Teodoro, the Philippines Defense Secretary, stated in a news conference that “Chinese Coast Guard and maritime militia vessels, in blatant violation of international law, harassed and intentionally hit [Manila’s supply boat and coastguard].” 

“This is a serious escalation of the illegal activities conducted by the Chinese government in the West Philippine Sea in complete disregard of any norm or convention of international law,” Teodoro said.

Teodoro also emphasized “the support of our allies and like-minded nations such as the United States, Japan, Australia, Germany, Canada, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom and European Union in condemning China’s aggression and expansionist actions.”

Manila Residents Overcrowd Vaccination Centers Ahead Of Two-Week Lockdown 

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Residents in the Philippine capital of Manila are rushing to get their Covid-19 vaccines ahead of the weekend, as the nation announced they would be going under another two-week lockdown starting Friday evening. 

Manila is home to about 13 million residents. The nearby province Laguna, as well as the cities of Iloilo and Cagayan de Oro will also be placed under lockdown. The lockdown measures in general are predicted to cost the economy $4 billion.

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Residents will not be able to leave their homes except for essential shopping. Covid-19 cases have been on the rise in the Philippines since July. A majority of the spreading is due to the highly infectious Delta variant that the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently warned is just as contagious as chickenpox. 

The Delta variant in general has already caused a slew of severe outbreaks across Southeast Asia, especially in countries with poor vaccination rates. So far, about 10% of the Philippines 108 million population is vaccinated. 

Mixed messaging from authorities has now led to crowds rushing vaccination sites this week to get their inoculations before lockdown. Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte claimed that during the lockdown if an unvaccinated person leaves their home they will be escorted back by the police, but then clarified the next day that this would likely not be enforced. 

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However, that initial threat of police interaction caused many to want to get their vaccines to avoid police interaction when they might just be going to the store for their family. 

Back in June, Duterte threatened jail to individuals who refused to get vaccinated, so it makes sense that residents would want to rush to vaccine centers this week. 

The Department of Health urged the public not to believe in “fake news. Vaccinations will continue even under the hard lockdown in Metro Manila.”

The Philippines reported 8,127 new infections and 196 new deaths this Thursday, bringing the nation’s total to more than 1.6 million infections and 28,000 deaths since the start of the pandemic.