Flash floods whipped by strong winds and sudden heavy rain killed two men and displaced 1,000 residents of a riverside village in Davao del Sur, authorities said.
About 15 stranded residents were rescued from a tiny river islet in Bansalan town Thursday, when the water suddenly rose several meters, Bansalan Mayor Edwin Reyes said.
Reyes said two men drowned in the flood.
He said the floods were triggered by a squall followed by a heavy downpour that destroyed at least 50 houses in the village of Poblacion Dos on the foothills of Mt. Apo, the country’s tallest mountain.
About 200 families had to be evacuated to a gymnasium in the town center and five of them, including children, were slightly injured in the rush to flee, he said.
It was the third time since August last year that the town had been hit by flash floods.
Roderick Milana, head of the provincial disaster agency, said the government recently approved funding for the construction of river and flood control infrastructure in the town. – AP