Floods, landslides hit Mindanao; 19 dead

DAVAO CITY, Philippines (2nd UPDATE) – At least 19 people died while 34 others were hurt after landslides and flash floods brought by a low pressure area struck towns in Mindanao, most of which are still rehabilitating from the devastation of 2012’s Typhoon Pablo.

The Office of Civil Defense-Region 11 said 4 persons from Monkayo, Compostela Valley and a resident from Lupon, Davao Oriental are also missing.

A landslide in Cagdianao, a town in the Dinagat Islands, killed 6 people, including a two-year-old boy and 14-year-old girl, according to Jane Mayola of the Dinagat Islands provincial government.

A 6-year-old girl was killed while 10 others were wounded after a series of landslides hit the mining area of Mt. Diwata in Monkayo town on Sunday, January 12.

Another 4-year-old-child was killed in the nearby village of Babag in the same town. Three residents were also killed and one person was hurt in Bango, Compostela town.

OCD added that another resident was killed in Barangay Andap, New Bataan. The village was one of the hardest-hit by Typhoon Pablo.

In Davao Oriental, 5 were declared dead while 23 others were wounded in the village of Bangol in Tarragona town. Another resident died in the nearby village of Tubaon.

A resident was also killed in the village of Marayag in Lupon town.

Thousands evacuated

Meanwhile, 25,634 families or 128,215 persons are temporarily taking shelter in 79 evacuation centers in 16 municipalities and 2 cities in the region.

33 roads and bridges are also presently not passable making the search and rescue operations harder for the emergency responders.

The road to Cagdianao in the Dinagat Islands is now impassable due to the landslide. The landslide destroyed 2 houses, completely covering them with soil, added the Dinagat Islands Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (PDRRMC).

Five weaker landslides happened in the same municipality, blocking roads with soil and rock. Landslides were also reported in the towns of Basilisa and San Jose, also in the Dinagat Islands.

In Surigao del Norte, PDRRMC Officer Gilbert Gonzales said several areas were also flooded. One person is also missing the province, Gonzales said.

It is possible that residents in the said areas belittled the situation because the system is only considered a low pressure area, and not a typhoon, Rey Balido of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said Monday, January 13.

State weather bureau PAGASA also reported rains in areas recently hit by Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan) in the Visayas.

Balido said NDRRMC has not received reports from these areas, but said the rains will affect rehabilitation efforts in the areas.

The low pressure area was last located 70 kilometers southwest of Cagayan de Oro City, the state weather bureau said in a special weather advisory late Monday morning.

It will continue bringing cloudy skies with moderate to heavy rain over Caraga, the Zamboanga Peninsula, Eastern Visayas, Central Visayas, and Bicol.

The rest of the Visayas and Mindanao, as well as Southern Luzon, will also have cloudy skies accompanied by light to moderate rains, the bureau added.

“Residents are advised to take all the necessary precautionary measures,” the bureau said. – With reports from Pia Ranada/Rappler.com