Seven dead, four missing in Lanao del Sur —PDRRMO

Seven persons were reported dead while four others were reported missing in Lanao del Sur due to flash flood and landslides caused by rains brought by Tropical Storm Vinta on Friday.

Saripada Pacasum Jr, head of Lanao del Sur provincial disaster risk reduction and management office, said four of those reported killed were from Madalum town, two from Wato and one from Tugaya.

Three of those missing were from Tugaya and one from Wato.

Pacasum said the PDRRMO was still waiting for the report on the names, gender, and age of the victims.

He said the deaths in Madalum and Wato were due to flash flood while a landslide killed the victim in Tugaya.

“Sa Tugaya noong una buhos lang ng tubig, tumuloy tuloy kasama ang lupa hanggang sa naging landslide,” Pacasum said in a phone interview with GMA News Online.

He said PDRRMO was clearing the road of soil and other debris.

“Wala nang ulan sa ngayon, road clearing na kami dahil hindi madaanan ang mga kalsada. Sobrang hirap din dahil walang kuryente,” Pacasum said.

Lanao del Sur provincial director Senior Superintendent John Guyguyon said Narciso Ramos Highway was not passable to all types of vehicles due to flooding and landslides.

Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao assemblyman Zia Alonto Adiong said the ARMM was asking the National Power Corporation to open the Sluice gates in Agus 1 and the regulatory dams in Marawi.

“Flash floods affect the agricultural areas especially the low lying areas in the eastern side of the bridge. Municipalities that are directly affected by the flashfloods caused by typhoons, in this case typhoon Vinta, are the municipalities of Ditsaan-Ramain, Bubong, and Buadi Puso Buntong and even up to Poona Bayabao,” Adiong   said.

He said Bubong was within the area declared by Department of Environment and Natural Resources as a watershed.

Adiong said Ramain, Bubong had more than 2,000 internally displaced persons from Marawi. —NB, GMA News