At least 67 people have died and 16 are missing in landslides and flooding caused by heavy rains in the southern Philippines, authorities said on Friday (October 28).Flood waters quickly engulfed several towns and villages on the island of Mindanao, carrying trees, stones and mud in their path, mainly in the poor region of Cotabato, a city of 300,000 inhabitants. The army deployed trucks to rescue residents stranded in Cotabato and eight other neighboring towns , said the regional head of civil protection, Nasrullah Imam. “It’s a shock to see municipalities that had never been flooded being affected,” he said, adding that some families had been swept away by the floods. water began to enter the houses before dawn” and several residents were taken aback by the rapid rise in water, said a spokesman for the local authorities, Naguib Sinarimbo. Rescuers found 27 bodies in the locality of Datu Odin Sinsuat, including 11 additional victims found in a village buried in mud. Ten bodies were discovered in Datu Blah Sinsuat and five in Upi, according to Naguib Sinarimbo, noting that several people have were saved after climbing onto the roofs of their homes. Rescuers had to carry a baby at arm’s length in a plastic tub with water up to his chest, according to a photo released by provincial police. A local filmmaker, Remar Pablo, said he was filming a beauty pageant in the town of Upi when waters submerged the town around midnight causing spectators to flee. “We were stuck inside” the building, said Remar Pablo, whose footage shows a row of half-submerged cars outside. He finally threw himself into the water to return home. Suspended ferries If the waters have now receded in several areas, the city of Cotabato is still almost entirely invaded by water. And local authorities fear further flooding on Friday due to heavy rains. “Our immediate goal is to continue rescue operations as well as setting up community kitchens for survivors,” Naguib Sinarimbo said. archipelago where tens of thousands of people board boats every day. The heavy rains began Thursday evening in the region. The intensity of the rainfall is partly due to Tropical Storm Nalgae, which is expected to strengthen as it approaches the country, meteorological services in Manila said. Nalgae is heading northwest in the Philippines, with winds of 85 km /h and could hit Samar Island as early as Friday or the Bicol Peninsula in the southern part of Luzon Island overnight from Friday to Saturday. Civil protection has already evacuated some 5,000 people in anticipation of landslides and flooding when the storm makes landfall. and ravaging farms, homes, roads and bridges, though the south is rarely affected. With global warming, storms and typhoons are becoming more and more powerful, warn scientists. At the end of September, Typhoon Noru killed at least 10 people in the Philippines, including five rescuers. Tropical storm Megi, which hit the country in April, killed at least 148 people and caused massive landslides. In 2013, Typhoon Haiyan, the strongest to ever make landfall, left more than 7,300 people dead or missing.
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