Flooding displaces over 98,000 people in Mindanao

COTABATO, Philippines (Xinhua) - Flash floods brought about by a tropical depression displaced nearly 98,000 people in Mindanao, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said today.

Eduardo del Rosario, executive director of NDRRMC, said low lying towns in the provinces of Sultan Kudarat, Sarangani, North Cotabato, Maguindanao and Davao del Norte were flooded due to continuous heavy downpour caused by Tropical Depression Emong.

NDRRMC broke down the number of people affected to 335 people in Davao del Norte; 36,370 in Sultan Kudarat, Sarangani and North Cotabato; and 61,947 in Maguindanao.

"So far there were no reported deaths," he said.

In the township of Braulio Dujali, Davao del Norte, the water level is high after a dam was destroyed.

The NDRRMC said its operations centre is on red alert status and has been continuously monitoring and disseminating weather advisories.

Earlier, the US weather forecasters reported Tropical Depression Emong might become a strong tropical cyclone within the next 24 hours, citing the weather disturbance is likely to gain more strength as it tracks northward in the east coast of the Philippines.