Death toll hits 33 in Philippines regional flooding

Manila: Heavy rains caused widespread flooding and landslides in seven regions across the country as the latest weather disturbance claimed the lives of 33 people, official government reports said.

National Disaster Risk Reduction and Managenent Council (NDRRMC) Executive Director Benito Ramos said that although no tropical cyclones entered the country in recent days, a cold front hovering over Central Philippines is bringing heavy rains over a wide area covering the three major islands of Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao.

He said 883,128 people or 171,724 families have been affected by flooding and landslides brought about by continuous heavy rains over the past several days after the New Year.

The affected regions include the Bicol, Eastern Visayas, Central Visayas, Northern Mindanao, Davao, Caraga and the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM).

The weather disturbance affected the lives of residents of at least 113 towns and eight cities in 21 provinces and among the regions hit hard was Caraga.

State of emergency

Local officials declared the entire four-province Caraga region under a state of emergency after floods inundated large areas and torrential rains caused landslides.

Caraga, in Mindanao, is comprised of the provinces of Agusan del Norte, Agusan del Sur, Surigao del Norte and Surigao del Sur. At least 20 of the fatalities reported were from the latest weather disturbance were from the region.

The NDRMMC have so far estimated the cost of destruction to infrastructure, property and agriculture at 431 million pesos (Dh35.9 millon).