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CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY: One person was already reported
drowned as rescue and relief operations went into high gear in
affected flooded areas in southern Gingoog City, a sketchy report
coming from the Provincial Disaster Coordinating Council (PDCC) on
Sunday stated, said the Philippine News Agency.
A PDCC report identified the
victim as a certain Rudy Andig of Gingoog City, who was crossing an
overflowed river when washed away by the rampaging floodwaters, PDCC
report added.
Rescue and relief operations to
some 20,000 flash flood victims in the cities of Gingoog and Iligan,
and this region’s capital city went into high gear, as more rescue
teams from the different disaster councils were already deployed in
several flood-prone and low-lying areas in urban centers.
Northern and Northeastern
Mindanao Armed Forces of the Philippine’s 4th Infantry (Diamond)
Division chief Maj. Gen. Ricardo David Jr. already mobilized some of
his field units to help in the rescue and relief operations.
Over flowed creeks and rivers
nearby added problem to residents in Iligan, Cagayan de Oro and
Gingoog, the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) reported.
At least 25 houses were already
reported washed out while over a hundred were partially damaged by
the rampaging floodwaters in some areas in the three cities of
Northern Mindanao.
Initial summary report coming
from the various disaster coordinating councils in the region stated
that at least 11 barangays in Cagayan de Oro, five in Gingoog City
and seven in Iligan City are under floodwaters.
Unconfirmed report also reaching
the Cagayan de Oro Disaster Council said seven persons were reported
missing when the flash flood struck on Friday night.
Search and rescue operation to
the reported missing persons is still going on.
A separate report also reaching
this city said that an undetermined number of persons were trapped
in Bayug and Manauang areas when the cascading flash floods hit
these barangays on Thursday and Friday in Iligan City.
“We are still verifying these
reports and we cannot confirm yet until official reports come in,”
said Northern Mindanao OCD Director Carmelito Lupo.
Reports also reaching Office of
Civil Defense said a disaster team at a low-lying barangay here
rescued two children.
Some of the flood victims,
particularly those families living in the nearby creeks and rivers
in said three cities have already fled and evacuated to safer areas,
some of them in barangay halls, health centers and basketball
courts, OCD report said.
The Regional Disaster
Coordinating Council in Northern Mindanao had already mobilized all
disaster councils to assist the flash flood victims, added OCD
Director Lupo.
Worth of damage on infrastructure
and agriculture are yet to be determined by the concerned government
agencies.
Meanwhile, a landslide was also
reported along the national highway in Lanuza, Surigao del Sur.
The center of low-pressure area
was reported along the eastern part of Surigao that triggered heavy
rains in several areas in Northern and Northeastern Mindanao
regions, it was learned.
As this developed, various
disaster councils reported before noon yesterday that floodwaters in
said cities started to subside.
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