Flood from Vinta leaves 18 people dead in Lanao Norte

Eighteen people were reported to have died in a flood in Salvador, Lanao del Norte, when Tropical Storm Vinta dumped heavy rains as it swept through Mindanao on Friday, local officials said Saturday.

ARMM assemblyman Zia Alonto Adiong on Saturday night tweeted that apart from the 18 people who died, three others remained missing, while 100 houses have been damaged due to Vinta.

18 deaths reported in Lanao del Sur. More than 100 houses damaged. 3 persons missing. #typhoonvinta

— Zia Alonto Adiong (@ZeeAlontoAdiong) December 23, 2017

Earlier in the day, National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council executive director Undersecretary Ricardo Jalad, citing initial reports from a regional director of the Office of Civil Defense, told Super Radyo dzBB that 15 people did not survive the flood that came rushing down from high-elevation points along the boundary of Lanao del Norte and Lanao del Sur.

He said the information has yet to be validated.

Usec. Jalad kung may mga ulat na casualty dahil sa pananalasa ng bagyong #VintaPH: Oo, pero 'yung mga data na ito ay hindi pa official so I think 15 ng mga kababayan natin diyan sa Lanao del Norte ang hindi pinalad na makaligtas sa flash flood na 'yun.

— DZBB Super Radyo (@dzbb) December 22, 2017

Flood waters supposedly passed through the municipality of Salvador through the Lala town and have subsided overnight, said Jalad.

Seven people were initially reported to have died while four were missing in Lanao del Sur also due to floods and landslides.

As of 4 a.m., the tropical storm was 165 kilometers northwest of Zamboanga City, Zamboanga del Sur, packing maximum sustained winds of 75 kilometers per hour and gustiness of up to 90 kph.

Vinta immediately followed Tropical Storm Urduja, which brought death and ruin to Eastern Visayas in the days leading up to the holidays before it left the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) on December 19.

Vinta is projected to be out of the PAR by Monday evening. —LBG, GMA News