ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines — A state of calamity has been declared in this city due to massive flooding spawned by continuous rains since last week.
The city council approved the declaration, which was recommended by the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (CDRRMC) during a special session yesterday.
The CDRRMC said seven people died, among them a couple who were pinned by an uprooted balete tree that fell on their house in Barangay Sinunuc on Wednesday.
The other fatalities, three of them minors, either drowned or were electrocuted.
Two other persons remain missing after they were swept away by the strong current while crossing a river.
“The declaration of the state of calamity is important to speed up the release of financial support to affected areas and farmers,” Mayor Maria Isabelle Climaco-Salazar said.
At least 17 barangays and over 3,000 families were displaced by the flooding.
Salazar said more than 100 houses were destroyed by the storm surge while 327 others were damaged by the flash flood.
Classes remained suspended yesterday.
Damage to agriculture was initially placed at P95.96 million, with over 1,000 farmers affected.
At least 310 hectares of rice fields, 477 hectares of corn farms, 144 hectares of vegetable farms, 200 hectares of seaweed farms and 857 hectares of fishponds were also damaged.
Initial damage to infrastructure was estimated at around P20 million.