Death toll from Visayas, Mindanao floods rises to 20

The death toll from flooding that hit the Visayas and Mindanao earlier this week has risen to 20, according to the national disaster agency.

Except for one who died from electrocution, the victims drowned in flash floods brought by heavy rain caused by intertropical convergence over Western and Central Visayas, Palawan and Mindanao from Oct. 4 to 8.

The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) reported on Friday that flash floods killed two people in Western Visayas, eight in Central Visayas, six on the Zamboanga Peninsula and four in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM).

Two kids dead

Among the dead were two children: 5-year-old Quennie Ymon of San Remegio, Antique province, who was swept away while crossing the Pabella Creek on Oct. 4, and 8-year-old Mariluna Andawa of Kalye Fatime Zone 8, Ayala, in Zamboanga City.

Two other people remain missing since they were swept away by floodwaters in Negros Oriental province on Oct. 4.

The NDRRMC said 87,096 people were displaced, with 32,556 of them in temporary shelters as of Friday morning.

Nearly 208,000 families in 11 cities in 13 provinces in Western Visayas, Central Visayas, Zamboanga Peninsula, Northern Mindanao, Soccksargen and the ARMM were affected by the floods.

Damage

Negros Occidental province, which was placed under a state of calamity, has reported P86 million in damage to infrastructure and agriculture.

Landslides and flash floods damaged 19  roads and bridges  in the provinces of Negros Oriental, Zamboanga del Norte and Zamboanga Sibugay.

The National Bridge in Bugcaon village in Lantapan town in Bukidnon province and the Kudyawan Bridge in Negros Oriental province were also damaged by landslides.

At least 251 houses were destroyed while 690 others were damaged, according to the NDRRMC.

The municipalities of Bayawan and Ilog in Negros Oriental were also declared under a state of calamity along with Tungawan town in Zamboanga Sibugay.