9 dead, 200,000 displaced by floods, landslides

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY – Nine people have died and nearly 200,000 have been displaced by flash floods and landslides triggered by heavy rains across the country, relief agency officials said yesterday.

Nine other people were missing, while two others were injured, the National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC) said.

The tail-end of a cold front sweeping through the country’s eastern seaboard has brought heavy rains across 11 provinces from northern Luzon to the eastern section of southern Mindanao since last week, it said.

The agency said 37,889 families or about 191,586 people have been affected.

Parts of Misamis Occidental and Misamis Oriental remain submerged, while continuing heavy rains have forced the cancellation of air services by small domestic carriers.

Schools also remain closed, while rivers have overflowed in Agusan del Norte, flooding communities. Storm surges were also reported in many coastal areas.

There were reports of landslides and flooding in the Bicol region, while small motorized fishing vessels capsized near Capiz in western Visayas.

The Philippine National Red Cross has appealed to the public to extend help to the flood victims in Cagayan de Oro as well as in the cities of Iligan and Gingoog.

The weather bureau reiterated its warning yesterday that the eastern sections of the Visayas and Mindanao may experience flash floods and landslides as the tail-end of a cold front will continue to dump heavy rains over these areas. – Sheila Crisostomo, Bong Fabe, Helen Flores