Girl drowns in flood-stricken Iloilo district

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ILOILO CITY, Philippines–A 7-year-old girl drowned when heavy rains over the weekend triggered flooding in a village in Villa Arevalo District here due to heavy rains.

The remains of Elyssa Villareal were found at around 9:30 a.m. Monday in Project 5 in Barangay So-oc, according to a report of the Arevalo police station.

The victim was reported missing Sunday evening after she failed to come home, said Mario Mahinay, supervising administrative officer of the City Social Welfare and Development Office.

Mahinay said about 880 families or 4,400 persons were affected by the flooding in Barangay So-oc, a flood-prone area. The flooding was caused by monsoon rains exacerbated by typhoon ‘‘Odette’’.

A family of five persons were evacuated to the village’s daycare center, Mahinay said.

Ten families–or about 40 persons–were also evacuated Sunday as a precautionary measure in Barangay Calubihan in Jaro District.

Darwin Papa, operations chief of the city disaster risk reduction and management office, said the families returned to their homes an hour after they evacuated after the water level in the nearby Dungon Creek subsided.