‘Crising’ slams 3 provinces in Mindanao; hundreds flee
PAGADIAN CITY—Tropical depression “Crising” left two persons missing, another four injured, and hundreds of families displaced in Davao Oriental, Zamboanga del Norte and Zamboanga Sibugay provinces as the weather disturbance slammed through these areas on Thursday and Friday.
Initial reports from local disaster management offices showed that the storm damaged 94 houses and destroyed 10 others in the three provinces, and caused landslides and floods that damaged roads.
Crising first hit Davao Oriental on Thursday evening, downing trees and dumping heavy rains that caused floods in several villages in the City of Mati.
Seven fishermen from the coastal villages of Kinablangan and Lucod in Baganga town, Davao Oriental, were reported missing but five of them have been found as of Saturday, the provincial information office said.
Search and rescue operation continued on Saturday for the two remaining missing fishers, it added.
A total of 145 families were evacuated to safer grounds in Davao Oriental while four persons were injured at the height of the storm.
State of calamity
While Crising was downgraded into a low pressure area after it weakened on Friday morning, four hours of continuous heavy rains in Zamboanga Sibugay early on Friday led to the swelling of major rivers, flooding communities and vast croplands.
More than 1,000 people fled their homes in Kabasalan town engulfed by waist-deep waters and took shelter in the municipal gym.
In a social media post, Mayor Katrina Cainglet Balladares said the municipal council was set to declare a state of calamity during an emergency meeting on Saturday to free up local funds for disaster relief and rehabilitation.
Massive floods also hit the towns of Imelda, Siay, Tungawan and Diplahan, inundating farms and homes.
In Zamboanga del Sur, vast croplands and low-lying communities were also submerged in floodwater.
Children rescued
Rampaging waters gobbled six houses in the riverside village of Saloagan in Dimataling town and swept away seven vehicles.
The town’s disaster management office said no one was hurt in the flood and landslides as the residents were able to evacuate fast.
In the gold mining town of Bayog, a pedestrian bridge and two houses in Kahayagan village were swept by raging floods as the Dipili River swelled, and three children in Salawagan village were rescued as they were trapped by rising waters.
No one was hurt in the landslides in the towns of Bayog, Lakewood, Dimataling and Lapuyan. Passage through the roads blocked by the landslides were restored by late Friday.
Damage assessment
Ronnie Villanueva, provincial disaster risk reduction and management chief, said that as of Saturday, they were still assessing the extent of damage brought on by Crising.
In Zamboanga City, Councilor Mike Alvar said 24 houses in Tigbalabag village were affected by a landslide.
Landslides were also reported in the village of Mangusu and in a section of the Ma. Clara Lorenzo Lobregat Highway, said Elmeir Apolinario, city disaster risk reduction and management officer.