Davao slide toll hits 15

At least 15 individuals were killed, and five were injured by the landslides and flash floods that hit the Davao region caused by heavy rains, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council said Sunday.

NDRRMC data confirmed eight of the 13 total deaths logged in Davao de Oro, with the rest still being validated at press time, including two arising from landslides in Davao City.

Vice President Sara Duterte visited the wake of the landslide victims on Saturday in Monkayo, Davao de Oro, to condole with the bereaved families.

The deadly landslides in Barangay Mount Diwata in the province last Thursday reportedly killed at least 11 people. Two others died in the municipalities of Maragusan and Pantuka.

Vice President Duterte said her Davao region satellite office will assist the affected families.

The NDRRMC said a total of 83,174 families or 349,236 persons were affected by the heavy flooding and landslides in the Davao region.

A total of 3,664 families or 11,797 persons were sheltered in 60 evacuation centers in the region, while 844 families, or 3,651 persons, were staying with their relatives.

In a radio interview, Office of Civil Defense Region 11 Director Ednar Dayanghirang said damage to agriculture has reached P57 million. Around 40 houses were also damaged by the heavy flooding and landslides.

The government has so far extended P50 million in assistance to affected residents.