198 dead, 375 missing in floods, landslides in Philippines

Dec 17, 2011, 11:39 GMT

Manila - At least 198 people were killed and 375 were missing in floods and landslides triggered by a tropical storm in the Philippines, military and disaster relief officials said Saturday.

Tropical Storm Washi slammed into the southern region of Mindanao on Friday, bringing heavy rains that caused many rivers to overflow. The floods were worsened by high tides, local officials said.

Worst hit were the southern cities of Cagayan de Oro and Iligan, where armed forces rescuers have recovered a total of 172 bodies, according to military spokesmen.

The military said 375 were missing in the two municipalities. The Office of Civil Defence said the number could go down as authorities verify the whereabouts of unaccounted-for residents.

The floods hit overnight while residents were sleeping, said Iligan City Mayor Lawrence Cruz.

'We were all surprised,' he told a local television station. 'The people were already sleeping when the flash floods came.'

Cely Asinero, a resident of Cagayan de Oro, told a local radio station that she and her family were awakened by the sound of the rushing floodwaters, which reached heights of almost 10 metres.

'It was so loud,' she said. 'We tore off the roof of my brother's house, which was the tallest in our village. We could have drowned if we weren't able to get to the roof.'

Roman Pino, a 29-year-old father of two, also rushed his family to the roof of their house to escape the muddy floodwaters.

'It was pitch black all around us,' he recalled. 'We prayed so hard that we will be spared. We were only able to go down six hours later and we saw many dead bodies.'

Social Welfare Secretary Dinky Soliman said local officials feared the death toll in the two coastal cities could still rise, because many of the dead were swept into the sea.

'Those on the riverbanks were actually washed out to sea and rescuers are still in the process of getting casualties out of the sea,' she said.

Local television footage showed houses swept away by the floods into the sea or destroyed as debris smashed into them. Dozens of vehicles were piled up on many streets.

Trees and electric posts were toppled and residents clambered on to their roofs for safety.

Washi also caused the deaths 18 people in the central province of Negros Oriental, while five died in landslides in the southern province of Compostella Valley, the Office of Civil Defence said.

Three people drowned in Polanco town in Zamboanga del Norte province, it added.

Soliman said President Benigno Aquino III, who expressed alarm over the high death toll, ordered the distribution of 'Christmas packs' to thousands of displaced residents aside from the usual relief goods.

'The president ordered us to give them grocery items to make spaghetti and fruit salad to give them some sense of Christmas,' she said.

The weather bureau said Washi, locally called Sendong, strengthened as it crossed Mindanao. It was packing maximum winds of 75 kilometres per hour (kph) and gusts of up to 90 kph.

The storm was expected to exit the Philippines on Sunday afternoon after passing by the western province of Palawan.

Related Links: http://www.ndrrmc.gov.ph/attachments/article/358/NDRRMC%20Update%20Si trep%20No.%204%20TS%20SENDONG%20as%20of%2017%20December%202011,%206PM .pdf

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