Rains flood 6 Mindanao villages, displace 4K families, destroy 23 homes

A flashflood in Mindanao (INQUIRER FILE PHOTO/ GEONARRI SOLMERANO)

COTABATO CITY — A three-day moderate to heavy downpour brought about by the intertropical convergence zone affecting Mindanao has flooded at least six barangays (villages), temporarily displaced or inconvenienced about 4,000 families, and destroyed 23 homes in Kalamansig, Sultan Kudarat.

Florante Mulod of Barangay Sta. Maria said Barangay Poral, Obial, Limulan, Sta. Maria, Hinalaan and Cadiz were flooded as a result of heavy rains over the weekend.

Also flooded were the villages of Salaman and Poloy-Poloy in Lebak, also in Sultan Kudarat.

Kalamansig Mayor Ronan Garcia said that as of 3:40 a.m. Sunday, at least 4,255 families have been temporarily displaced or inconvenienced by the floods,

“At least 23 houses were destroyed by flashfloods,” Garcia said.

The Limulan river has overflowed, submerging low-lying villages downstream.

Mulod said at least 37 families of the Manobo tribe living by the banks of the Limulan River in Sta. Maria evacuated to the Zone of Peace and Development building at the Sta. Maria Barangay Hall.

Disaster officials said power was cut off in affected villages after treesfell on power lines during strong winds Saturday night in Barangay Limulan where the Sultan Kudarat Electric Cooperative generators were located.  SFM