Six die, one missing in flooding

Six people died and another is reported missing as heavy rains caused by tropical depression "Juan" pounded Metro Manila over the past two days, the National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC) said yesterday.

Three people were killed in separate drowning incidents in several Metro Manila suburbs. They are Benjamis Pacis, 45, of Caloocan City, Apolinario Nery, 72, of Las Pinas City, and Rey Asulya, 41, of Dagat-Dagatan, Caloocan City.

In San Pablo City, south of the capital, a family of three survived a landslide in Santo Cristo village near Banadero river.

Emeterio Miral, 33, Teresita Miral, 40, and their daughter, Jamaica, two, were rescued by neighbours after they were buried in a landslide that brought down their house.

The NDCC identified the missing person as John Mark Garfin, 22, of Paranaque City.

Early this month, monsoon rains spawned by typhoons "Gloria" and "Hambalos" claimed a total of 61 lives, and injured 40 others, while five are listed as missing, including two Korean nationals, who are believed to be dead.

The rains once again placed low-lying areas in Metro Manila under water, rendering several major thoroughfares impassable.

In Manila's north-western suburb of Malabon, several residents went to the evacuation centres for the third time in two weeks as floodwaters from the Tullahan River overflowed its banks.

Outside Manila, to the north, in Pampanga, Pangasinan and Tarlac, several towns remain flooded as the weather bureau expects the flooding to worsen as Juan passes over these three provinces.

The Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services said another tropical depression is threatening the country in the north and is expected to affect the northern main island of Luzon later today.

The Philippines is located within the path of the "typhoon belt".

Every year, some 22 typhoons hit the country and at least six of these are of cyclone strength.

It was the second time this month that torrential rains wreaked havoc in the typhoon-prone Pacific archipelago. More than 60 people died in monsoon floods and landslides triggered by three typhoons that passed close to the country over a week ago.