Death Toll from Typhoon Kalmaegi in Philippines Climbs to 224

The number of fatalities caused by Typhoon Kalmaegi in the Philippines has risen from 188 to 224, with 109 listed as missing, the GMA News TV channel reported, citing the republic’s Office of Civil Defense.

On Cebu Island, flooded by torrential rains, 158 deaths have been confirmed. Overall, 526 residents have been affected across the country with hundreds of thousands forced to leave their homes.

A state of emergency was declared in 53 populated localities. President of the Philippines Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has declared a state of national calamity in the republic.