No heavy rain, but bridge collapses, 3 dead in South Cotabato

RESIDENTS of the village of Concepcion in Koronadal City find themselves cut off from the rest of the city after strong river currents swept away a portion of the village bridge. AL SALUDO/CONTRIBUTOR

KORONADAL CITY—Three people were killed, a major bridge was damaged and several areas of South Cotabato were submerged in flood waters following hours of light to moderate rain that started on Tuesday.

Tupi, South Cotabato Mayor Reynaldo Tamayo said separate landslides took place in Barangay Bunao and Lunen and killed three people.

Tamayo did not identify those killed but added that the landslides were triggered by the rain.

READ: Landslide buries alive 3 miners in South Cotabato | Pagasa declares start of rainy season; 11-16 more cyclones before yearend

Koronadal City Mayor Peter Miguel said a tricycle driver was also injured when the bridge in Barangay Concepcion collapsed as he was crossing it early Wednesday.

The driver, who was also not identified, was rescued after falling off the bridge and is now recuperating at the provincial hospital.

Miguel said the bridge collapse was due to the strong current of the river at the height of the rain.

He said the rain also triggered floods that displaced at least 1,000 families in three low-lying villages of this city.

Miguel said in a radio interview that classes in all levels in the city had been suspended.

In nearby Banga town, at least 700 families were also displaced when floodwaters swept into four villages and damaged several houses.

South Cotabato Gov. Daisy Avance Fuentes said floods were also reported in the towns of Norala and Tupi.

In the town of Rosario, Cavite province, flooding on Tuesday caused the suspension of classes in one of the town’s biggest villages, Poblacion.

“A little rain here causes flood already,” said Sid Samaniego, municipal media relations officer.

Flooding was also reported on Tuesday in Legazpi City, Albay province. Edwin Fernandez, Inquirer Mindanao with Maricar Cinco and Michael Jaucian, Inquirer Southern Luzon

Originally posted as of 12:26 PM | Wednesday, June 24, 2015