Landslides, flashfloods hit South Cotabato

MANILA, Philippines - Landslides and flashfloods struck areas in South Cotabato due to torrential rains, displacing around 176 families, a local official said Wednesday.

Tatangan town Mayor Benjamin Figueroa Jr. said helped has evacuated around 145 families from Barangay New Iloilo, which was submerged in waist-deep floodwaters.

Figueroa said the displaced families were temporarily housed at the municipal gymnasium.

"We actually rescued some of them using payloaders and dump trucks as the area was rendered inaccessible to other vehicles due to the rising floodwaters," he added.

The mayor also said that the flashfloods also affected parts of barangays Bukay Pait, Dumadalig and Maibo.

Figueroa said half of the three villages were still submerged in floodwaters as of Wednesday morning.

Meanwhile, around 31 families living near a creek were evacuated from Barangay Assumption in Koronadal City after landslides hit the area Tuesday.

The landslides rendered about a kilometer of the barangay and provincial roads in Sitio Lower Ladol of Barangay Assumption impassable.

The City Social Welfare and Development Office on Monday initially released relief assistance to the evacuees while the City Engineer’s Office sent some heavy equipment to clear the landslide-hit roads.

Portions of the city's downtown area were also hit by flashfloods and some major roads were closed to traffic due to Tuesday's heavy downpour.

The floods also submerged the city's main business district in knee- to waist-deep floodwaters.