7 hurt, 152 houses destroyed as tornado hits North Cotabato

NORTH COTABATO, Philippines - Seven villagers were hurt when a powerful tornado on Thursday swept through a plateau in Pikit, North Cotabato and flattened 152 houses there, officials said.

The twister first struck through rice fields in Pikit’s adjoining Barangays Manaulanan, Punol and Pamalian, before hitting villages in open fields.

Barangay officials reported that 152 houses and makeshift shelters for farm animals were uprooted by the tornado, which fizzled down near a swampy area that connects to the 220,000-hectare Liguasan Delta.

Pikit’s municipal social welfare officer, Tahira Kalantungan, said seven ethnic Maguindanaon villagers hit by flying debris from the houses blown away by the tornado, were rushed to hospitals for medication.

Reports reaching the Army’s 6^th Infantry Division (ID) in Camp Siongco in Datu Odin Sinsuat town said the tornado also destroyed a mosque and an Islamic school building.

Major Gen, Edmundo Pangilinan, commander of 6^th ID, said Army units in Pikit and nearby towns have been ordered to help the Pikit local government unit evacuate the displaced villagers to designated relief sites.