Philippine floods death toll rises to 31: official
16 of the dead were from the flood-hit town of Datu Blah Sinsuat on Mindanao island
Cotabato: The death toll from landslides and flooding overnight in the Philippines rose to 31 on Friday, a regional official said.
Floodwaters mixed with mud and debris swept through several towns and cities on the southern island of Mindanao from late Thursday, hours into heavy rain induced by Tropical Storm Nalgae, said local civil defence chief Naguib Sinarimbo.
Rescuers retrieved 16 bodies from Datu Odin Sinsuat, 10 in Datu Blah Sinsuat and five in Upi town, he told reporters.
"We're hoping the toll will end there," he added.
However, rescue teams including military units were also checking other areas where flooding and landslides had been reported.
Heavy rain began late Thursday in the impoverished region, which is under Muslim self-rule after decades of separatist armed rebellion.
The state weather office in Manila said it was partly caused by Tropical Storm Nalgae, far to the northeast.
Nalgae was headed towards the northern Philippines, where the civil defence office said nearly 5,000 people were evacuated from flood- and landslide-prone areas ahead of an expected landfall on Saturday or Sunday.