2,000 families flee as floods, landslides hit S. Mindanao

TAGUM CITY – One person was hurt and more than 2,000 families have fled to safer grounds due to landslides and flooding spawned by a low pressure area in several areas in southern Mindanao, authorities on Sunday said.

Some 1,400 families went packing to schools and other evacuation centers as up to chest-deep floodwaters inundated communities in four municipalities and one city in Davao del Norte, according to Senior Superintendent Samuel Gadingan, Davao del Norte police chief.

Gadingan said the rice-producing town of Asuncion reported the most number of evacuees at 1,270 families as Saug River overflowed, rendering roads impassable.

Other affected areas in the province, according to Gadingan, include New Corella (101 families), Kapalong (23 families), Tagum (78 families) and Carmen, with five families.

In nearby Compostela Valley, a 5-year old boy was injured and three houses were buried in two landslides that hit the mining village of Mt. Diwata, in Monkayo town, on Saturday morning, police said.

Minor landslides were also reported in the towns of Maco and Nabunturan, with floodwaters submerging most major roads across the province, said Senior Supt. Camilo Cascolan, provincial police chief.

“The wooden bridge in Andap had collapsed after Mayo River overflowed late on Saturday, isolating Sitio Pagsilaan and other communities,” Marlon Esperanza, information officer of New Bataan town, told the Inquirer by text message.

Officials said a total of 601 families or about 2,400 persons have been evacuated in Compostela Valley and that police and rescue teams from the provincial government were already deployed to respond to any emergency.

Affected areas in Compostela Valley include Monkayo, with 343 families, Laak with 110 families, Nabunturan (33 families), Montevista (43 families, New Bataan with 22 households, and Pantukan with 20.

Flooding was also reported in Davao Oriental overnight, and a concrete bridge in Quinono-an in Manay town was also destroyed by rampaging waters around 6 a.m. on Sunday, Senior Superintendent Jose Carumba, Davao Oriental police chief, said.

Carumba said the bridge, which connected Manay and Caraga towns, is impassable to motorists.

Police and disaster officials said they are continuously monitoring as moderate to occasionally heavy rains continue to pelt parts of southern Mindanao.

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