Typhoon Co-may kills 25 in Philippines
Typhoon Co-may hammered northern Luzon with sustained winds of up to 120 kph and gusts reaching 165 kph, exacerbating a monsoon system that had already unleashed torrential rains across several provinces. The typhoon made landfall in Pangasinan before weakening to a tropical storm as it tracked northeastward through mountainous terrain and out to the Pacific. Swollen rivers and overflowing swamps forced knee-deep floodwaters onto the streets of Pampanga, while widespread inundation paralyzed road networks in multiple low-lying communities.
National disaster authorities confirmed at least 25 fatalities linked to the week-long onslaught of heavy rain—most deaths resulted from flash floods, landslides, fallen trees and electrocutions. Eight people remained unaccounted for amid ongoing search efforts. Nearly 3,000 homes suffered varying degrees of damage, and more than 278,000 residents were displaced to emergency shelters or the homes of relatives. Over 80 municipalities and cities, predominantly in northern Luzon, declared states of calamity, a measure that releases emergency funding and imposes price controls on essential commodities such as rice.
In response to mounting water levels and the risk of further landslides, authorities suspended classes in Metro Manila and 35 northern provinces, marking the third straight cancellation in the capital region. Air and sea travel was also restricted in the affected corridors. More than 4,000 uniformed personnel—including soldiers, police officers, coast guard units and firefighters—alongside civilian volunteers, conducted rescue operations, evacuated flood-stranded villagers and cleared debris from obstructed roads.
The Philippines situated along the Pacific “Typhoon Belt,” typically faces around 20 tropical storms annually. Its geography—bounded by the Pacific Ocean to the east and the South China Sea to the west—combined with mountainous terrain and active volcanoes, renders the archipelago one of the world’s most vulnerable regions to natural disasters.
