22 killed in Negros Oriental floods

Rescuers hold on to a rope as they form a human chain to rescue 32 passengers and crew of the ill-fated M/V Ever Transport III, which sank after running aground off Sitio (sub-village) Canday-ong, Barangay (village) Calindagan, Dumaguete City at 4 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 17, 2011. Big waves spawned by Tropical Storm Sendong battered the ship. Melissa Alexandra B. Pal/INQUIRER

CEBU CITY, Philippines—At least 22 persons were killed when floods swept through  Dumaguete City and three other towns in Negros Oriental, according to the reports received by the Philippine National Police in Negros Oriental and in Central Visayas.

The Negros Oriental Provincial Police Office activated its rescue teams with the help of the respective police stations, said Senior Superintendent Rey Lyndon Lawas, chief of the Regional Intelligence Division  for Central Visayas.

Senior Police Officer 1 Charlie Callet, duty officer of the Negros Oriental Provincial Police Office Tactical Operations Center said that based on the field reports,  Dumaguete City as well as the towns of Sibulan, Valencia and San Jose were badly affected by massive flooding.

Power was also cut off in these areas, he added.

Callet said 13 were killed in Sibulan, five in Dumaguete and three in Valencia and one in San Jose. Five were also reported missing in Valencia.

The floods were caused by the overflowing of the Ocoy River in Sibulan, due to heavy rains spawned by Tropical Storm Sendong.

Callet said the casualty figures were based on  data submitted by the respective police stations.

Callet said they received reports of flooding in Tanjay but the number of casualties had yet to be ascertained.