Flood death toll now 17

MANILA, Philippines -  The death toll from massive flooding caused by a low pressure area in parts of the Visayas and Mindanao has climbed to 17, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said yesterday.

NDRRMC executive director Benito Ramos said new fatalities were reported in Malimono, Surigao del Norte and Jolo, Sulu which has been placed under a state of calamity.

The NDRRMC said a total of 127,157 families or 599,553 people were affected in 697 barangays in Eastern Visayas, Northern Mindanao, Caraga, and Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.

In Jolo, medical teams have been deployed to prevent diseases among displaced villagers as floodwaters could have contaminated sources of potable water. About 95 percent of the capital town remains flooded, Mayor Hussin Amin said.