20 dead, 13 missing due to Mindanao floods

MANILA, Philippines - Two days of heavy rains set off floods and landslides in the southeastern Philippines, leaving at least 20 people dead, 13 missing and thousands displaced, officials said.

Most of the dead and missing came from floods and landslides that hit Compostella Valley and Davao Oriental provinces, said Maj. Reynaldo Balido, spokesman for the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC).

A landslide Monday damaged five houses in Cagdianao municipality in Dinagat Island, off the northeastern coast of the main southern island of Mindanao, killing six residents including two boys aged 2 and 14, said police officer Elbert Ompoc.

Another man drowned in Agusan del Sur province's Prosperidad township, on Mindanao, and seven others were missing, according to the civil defense regional bureau.

In its latest situational report, the NDRRMC had a smaller death toll, with the fatalities and missing persons reported in the Davao and Caraga regions, along with 34 others who were injured.

The flooding, spawned by heavy rains from an LPA, has affected 40,640 families or 199,327 people in 10 provinces.

Two rivers in Davao del Norte have overflowed while the irrigation dams in Aragon and Barangay Taytayan in Cateel, Davao Oriental were damaged due to flooding.

More than 300 houses have been damaged by the floods, along with eight bridges and five public infrastructure in Compostela Valley and Davao Oriental and 8,284 hectares of agricultural crops.

Liza Mazo, a regional disaster-response official, said some 10,000 people fled to safer grounds in four provinces and an island.

The same areas affected by the LPA were hit by Typhoon Pablo in December 2012, leaving nearly 2,000 people dead and missing and causing massive destruction.

PAGASA weather forecaster Gener Quitlong said rains may persist until Tuesday or Wednesday , including those in the Visayas that were hit by Typhoon Yolanda, which killed more than 6,100 people and left nearly 1,800 others missing last November. - with Louis Bacani, philstar.com