‘Pablo’: Flooding, landslides in Lanao del Sur

COTABATO CITY, Philippines – A bridge was washed out and two landslides were monitored in the town of Kapay, Lanao del Sur early morning Tuesday, December 4, as Typhoon “Pablo” (Bopha) threatened to cause flooding in several other towns in the province.

The damaged bridge was located in Barangay Kining, while the two landslides were monitored in Barangay Pagalongan.

No casualties were reported so far.

Provincial risk reduction management council officer Col. Satar Buriongan said continuous downpour since Monday night, December 3, has forced them to dispatch teams to force residents hundreds of families to evacuate Tuesday morning.

“The road is not passable at the moment, but we advised the residents to evacuate now and look for higher grounds for their safety now,” Buriongan said in a phone interview.

Kapay town is 16 km from Marawi City, in the first district of Lanao del Sur.

Knee-deep floods have submerged the town of Bubong, initial reports said. Disaster officials said continuous rains until noon will likely  submerge the nearby towns of Ramain, Guadiposo, Molondo, Taraka, Puna-Bayabao and Lumba-Bayabao. At least 25 families were recommended for emergency evacuation.

Lanao del Sur’s provincial disaster risk reduction team has deployed dump trucks to the affected areas for rescue and relief operations. – with reports from Ferdinandh Cabrera/Rappler.com