‘Crising’ floods Cebu, Leyte; at least 8 die
CARMEN, Cebu – Eight people were confirmed dead and at least two others were still missing after a flashflood swept the town of Carmen and the city of Danao Sunday morning.
Nonstop rains triggered by Tropical Depression Crising, which weakened into a low pressure area, caused massive flooding in Cebu, with flood waters waist high in some areas.
The Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO) identified the casualties as: Rowena Acencion, 38, and her children Joyed Acencion, 12, and Ivan Acencion, 10; Acena Laping, 55; Bens Ayan Laping, 2; Zobilla Gica, 40; and Nicholas Punggutan, 60. They were all residents of Carmen town.
The bodies of the mother and her children were found floating in Barangay Dawis Norte, about 2 kilometers from their house in Barangay Duwalog, Carmen.
The other casualty, from Danao City, was identified as Benyang Manulat.
In Carmen town, flashfloods hit the mountain barangay of Ypil and most of the fatalities were caught off-guard because it occured early in the morning.
One resident said he was sleeping with his family in their house and did not notice the rising water. The family was awakened by the barking of their dogs, he said.
Flooding was also reported in Consolacion town, where the public market was filled with waist-deep flood. In Metro Cebu, several areas in Cebu City, Mandaue City, and Talisay were impassable Sunday morning due to high flood waters.
Crising also left several towns in Leyte province heavily flooded.
Governor Leopoldo Dominico L. Petilla told Manila Bulletin Sunday the floods in the towns of Palo, Tan-auan, MacArthur, Tunga, Barugo, Hindang, Julita and Babatngon ranged from knee-deep to neck-deep.
In five barangays in Palo, neck-deep floodwaters forced residents to flee to higher ground. In Tan-auan, 13 barangays were under water, also prompting evacuation.
The Office of the Civil Defense (OCD) reported that the storm stranded thousands of passengers in Mindanao, Visayas and most of Southern Luzon.