Teen killed in landslide after CDO flash flood –mayor

A 14-year-old male was killed when a part of his house toppled down following flash floods brought about by heavy rains in Cagayan de Oro City early Tuesday, January 17.

Mayor Oscar Moreno identified the victim as Rene Boy Capidong, a resident of Barangay Agusan, a coastal community some 20 kilometers east of the city proper.

The victim passed away at around 5 a.m., Moreno told radio dzBB.

"Merong gumuho na parte doon sa bahay nila. Nakakalungkot nga," he said. "Ngayon, we're extending assistance para maasikaso 'yung kaniyang wake."

"I'm having it investigated kung paano gumuho, saan ba ito nakatira, kung sa coast ba o sa riverbank," he added.

'Back to normal'

Cagayan de Oro City was placed under a state of calamity early Tuesday, after flash floods from heavy rains, which were brought about by a low pressure area in the vicinity of Kabasalan, Zamboanga Sibugay.

Major streets were submerged on Monday, with water reaching chest-deep in some areas.

"The worst was kagabi, galing mga tanghali, all the way mga 8, 9 o'clock. By 9 o'lock, okay na, wala nang ulan. I even said the worst was over, although we were still monitoring dalawang rivers sa bundok... Sa awa ng Diyos, kaninang ala-una ng madaling-araw, huminto na 'yung pag-angat ng tubig, and in fact now, back to normal na 'yung level," Moreno said. 

Moreno noted that the situation is now "normalizing," though at least 1,000 families, or some 3,000 individuals, are still in evacuation centers.

The government canceled classes in all levels up to high school, leaving colleges to decide their own suspensions.

"The sky is clear, although makulimlim nang kaunti. The level of the rivers is back to normal ... The situation is normalizing now ... Sa business establishments, I declined to declare a holiday dahil baka maraming business transactions na maunsyami.

"I'd like to believe it's back to normal, although meron pang mga nasa evacuation centers. Pero in the next two hours, I'm sure wala nang evacuees," he added.

Moreno also noted that power was restored on Monday night, after being shut down for some four hours to prevent electrocution. — Rose-An Jessica Dioquino/TJD, GMA News