At least 67 people were killed in landslides and flooding caused by heavy rains in the southern Philippines before a tropical storm hit on Sunday.
The previous official balance showed 42 dead and 16 missing, local authorities told AFP in a statement.
The floods quickly engulfed several towns and villages on the island of Mindanao, carrying trees, rocks and mud in their wake, particularly in the impoverished region of Cotabato, a city of around 300,000 people.
The army sent trucks to rescue residents who were unable to leave Cotabato and eight other nearby towns, regional civil defense chief Nasrullah Imam said.
“It is shocking to see that municipalities that have never been flooded before are now affected,” the imam said, adding that some families had been swept away by the floods.
He continued: “The water began to enter the houses before dawn” and many residents were “surprised” by the rapid rise in waters, local authority spokesman Naguib Sinarimbo told AFP.
Rescue teams found 27 bodies in the town of Datu Odin Sinsuat, including 11 more victims who were in a village buried in mud.
Ten bodies were found in Datu Blah Sinsuat and five in Upi, Naguib Sinarimbo told AFP, noting that several people were rescued after climbing onto the roofs of their houses.
Rescuers had to carry a baby up to his chest in a plastic tub, according to a photo released by provincial police.
Local filmmaker Remar Pablo told AFP he was filming a beauty pageant in the town of Upi when the waters “flooded the town” around midnight, causing spectators to flee.
“We were trapped inside” the building, said Pablo, whose footage shows a row of semi-submerged cars outside, eventually jumping into the water in an attempt to reach his home.
Although the waters have receded in several areas, the city of Cotabato is still largely submerged.
Local authorities fear that there will be more flooding today due to heavy rains.
“Our immediate focus is to continue rescue operations and create soup kitchens for survivors,” Sinarimbo said.
The coast guard has also suspended ‘ferry boot’ services in much of the archipelago, where tens of thousands of people board every day.
Heavy rains began Thursday night in the region.
Meteorological services in Manila said the intensity of the rain was partly due to Tropical Storm Nalgae, which is expected to strengthen as it approaches the country.
Nalgae is heading towards the northwest of the Philippines with winds of 85 kilometers per hour and could reach the island of Samar today or the Bicol peninsula in the southern part of the island of Luzon tonight.
Civil Defense officials have already evacuated some 5,000 people, thus anticipating landslides and floods.
On average, 20 typhoons and storms hit the Philippines each year, killing people and livestock in their wake, and devastating farms, homes, roads and bridges, though the south of the country is rarely affected.
As the world is affected by global warming, storms and typhoons “are getting more powerful”, climate scientists warn.
In late September, Typhoon Noru killed at least 10 people in the Philippines, including five members of rescue teams trying to rescue people and property.
Tropical storm Megi, which hit the country in April, killed at least 148 people and triggered massive landslides.
In 2013, Typhoon Haiyan caused the death or disappearance of more than 7,300 people.
Source: TSF
