Davao floods, landslides death toll climbs to 8

MANILA, Philippines — The number of deaths following massive flooding and landslides caused by the trough of a low-pressure area in Davao region has increased to eight.

A report on GMA News quoted Davao de Oro information officer Fe Maestre as saying that the additional fatalities were from Pantukan and Monkayo towns.

Rescuers of the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office retrieved the bodies of a 98-year-old woman who was buried in a landslide in Monkayo and a man who drowned in Barangay Kingking in Pantukan.

In its report as of 8 a.m. yesterday, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said five of the fatalities have been validated.

The NDRRMC said the number of affected families in Davao and Caraga has soared to 143,047 or 529,583 people.

At least 153 areas in Caraga, Davao and the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao were affected by flooding.

The NDRRMC said 1,304 hectares of agricultural land were damaged in the three regions. The amount of losses has yet to be determined.

Major roads in Davao del Norte remained impassable due to floods, according to the provincial DRRMC.

The government has so far provided P3.2 million in assistance to the victims, the NDRRMC said. — Diana Lhyd Suelto