Nearly 20,000 people flee Davao Region floods

DAVAO CITY, Philippines – Nearly 20,000 individuals fled their homes in the Davao Region as the trough or extension of a low pressure area triggered floods and landslides.

Leslie Francisco, spokesperson of the region’s Office of Civil Defense, said on Sunday, January 27, that a resident of Barangay Tapia in Montevista, Compostela Valley, was killed in a landslide.

A 12-year-old girl, identified as Kristel Hermosura, also went missing after being swept away by the raging Handorumog River in Nabunturan, also in Compostela Valley.

Lao said a total of 58 barangays across the Davao Region implemented forced evacuation for around 4,116 families.

She added that the most affected areas were the following:

• New Corella, Talaingod, and Kapalong in Davao del Norte
• Compostela, Montevista, New Bataan, Maco, Monkayo, Laak, Mawab, and Nabunturan in Compostela Valley
• Lasang and Bunawan in Davao City

The families who fled remained in evacuation centers as of Sunday as the heavy rainfall warning had not been lifted yet.

Several roads leading to interior areas also remained closed due to floods and landslides.

In Davao Oriental, the rain also threatened to dump more water into the Aragon Dam.

In Davao City, Information Officer Jefry Tupas said the flooded areas were the barangays of Lasang, Bunawan, Maa, 74-A, 19-B, and Tigatto. A total of 2,175 families had been forcibly evacuated as early as Friday, January 25, he said.

Of the 2,175 families that were evacuated, Tupas said 96 families were still in evacuation centers as of Sunday. – Rappler.com