Floods, strong winds kill 10, displace 10,000 in Zamboanga

ZAMBOANGA CITY—At least seven people died while more than 10,000 others were displaced since continuous heavy rain and strong wind started here.

Elmer Apolinario, City Disaster Risk Reduction officer, said two of those killed were Naser Sajili and his wife Nursilin of Barangay Sinunuc.

Apolinario said a balete tree, which was uprooted by strong winds, fell on Sajili’s house, killing the couple and injuring their two children.

Apolinario said on October 15, when the rain and strong winds started, a senior citizen identified as Panglima Sagali drowned when a storm surge hit her home.

Sisphir Hassan, a five-year old boy, was electrocuted when a lamp post fell on their house.

A father and his son who were trying to cross a river in Barangay Sibulao were swept away by rampaging water, while a man drowned in Barangay Caragasan.

Leonida Bayan, the assistant city social welfare officer, said the number of displaced families in 17 villages has reached 3,999 families or 18,330 people.

Most affected are the coastal barangays and those living near the riverbanks, Bayan said.

The city government has also recorded a total of 455 houses destroyed by the strong wind and flood.

Most of the displaced residents have sought temporary shelter in barangay halls, multi-purpose centers and unoccupied day-care centers.

Jun Graciano, village chair of Tugbungan, said although they have been experiencing annual flooding, but the latest one was the worst.

“The floodwater in most of my sitios is neck-deep. In the past, it was just waist-deep,” he said.

The Navy, Coast Guard and Army forces helped in rescuing more than 100 families in Tugbungan.

Diosdado Palacat, the city agriculturist, said a total of P43 million worth of crops, vegetables and fishery products had been destroyed. /jpv