Death toll in Typhoon Kalmaegi climbs to 66 in Philippines

The death toll in Typhoon Kalmaegi that has hit the Philippines since Sunday has climbed to 66, with 26 more missing, the country's Office of Civil Defense (OCD) said on November 5, Report informs via Xinhua.

OCD Deputy Administrator Rafaelito Alejandro told the media that 49 of the deaths were in the worst-hit Cebu province.

At least 10 individuals were injured, and more than 706,000 people have been affected by the typhoon.

As of early Wednesday morning, the state weather bureau said the center of Kalmaegi was spotted in El Nido, Palawan, moving west-northwestward at 25 km per hour, with maximum sustained winds of 120 km per hour and gusts of up to 165 km per hour.

Kalmaegi was the 20th typhoon to slam the Philippine archipelago this year.

Located along the Pacific typhoon belt, the Philippines experiences an average of 20 typhoons each year.