66 dead as Cebu bears brunt of 'Tino'

Typhoon “Tino” left a deadly trail across the Visayas region with at least 66 fatalities reported, most of them from Cebu, as government agencies rushed to deliver relief aid, restore power, and clear roads amid ongoing floods and isolation in hard-hit areas, the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) reported Wednesday, Nov. 5.

- By MARTIN SADONGDONG, ELLALYN DE VERA-RUIZ, ARGYLL CYRUS GEDUCOS, MERLINA HERNANDO-MALIPOT, ELLSON QUISMORIO, and AARON RECUENCO

OCD Assistant Secretary Bernardo Rafaelito Alejandro IV, civil defense deputy administrator for administration, said the bulk

The Philippines gained the unenviable distinction of topping the 2025 World Risk Index on vulnerability to flooding of the casualties, 49 of the 66 recorded deaths, were from Region 7, particularly Cebu province, where widespread flooding and landslides struck communities overnight.

Seven deaths were reported in Negros Island Region (NIR) due to fallen debris, drowning and other causes.

In Agusan del Sur, six Philippine Air Force (PAF) died in a helicopter crash while they were on a Rapid Damage and Needs Analysis (RDANA) flight.

Two persons died in Leyte due to a fallen tree and flooding, while one death each was logged in Bohol and Capiz and the victims were struck by fallen trees.

Twenty-six persons were missing, 13 each in Cebu and in La Castellana, Negros Occidental. Ten people were injured in Region 7 and Eastern Visayas (Region 8) caused by fallen debris, flooding, and others.

"Relief and response operations are ongoing. Our response cluster is fully activated, led by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and Department of Health (DOH) for medical needs while the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), Philippine National Police (PNP), and Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) are taking charge of search, rescue, and retrieval efforts," Alejandro said in a radio interview.

He added that rapid damage and needs assessments were ongoing, especially in Palawan and parts of Central Visayas, where the storm's impact remained severe.

While still reeling from the impact of Tino, the OCD said it has started preparing for another tropical depression monitored outside the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR), eastern portion of the country, which could strengthen into a super typhoon this weekend.