Mudslides ravage South Cotabato village

KORONADAL CITY — Mudslides triggered by heavy rains have buried vehicles and damaged properties in the interior Barangay Landan in Polomolok, South Cotabato, where clearing operations to remove debris continued on Thursday.

Strong floodwaters have submerged portions of the road in Purok Dam on Wednesday, making the crossing impassable and stranding motorists in the area.

Royce Pendatun, a village kagawad, said that accumulated mud, rocks and other debris covered parts of the road, creating dangerous conditions for motorists and nearby residents as water levels rose rapidly due to continuous rainfall.

Article continues after this advertisement

READ: Storm outside PAR may intensify into super typhoon next week — Pagasa

FEATURED STORIES

NEWSINFO

NEWSINFO

NEWSINFO

He said the heavy downpour started shortly after 2 p.m. on Wednesday, sending a huge volume of water cascading from the slopes of Mt. Matutum, South Cotabato’s landmark peak.

The floodwaters carried loose soil and rocks that may have become unstable following the powerful magnitude 7.8 quake last June 8, the village official said.

A top-down tricycle, a motorcycle and a minivan were buried in mud and rocks after a surge of water carrying soil and boulders swept through a resort.

Floodwaters and debris streamed into the Sanol Ecotourism Resort and its facilities, submerging its swimming pool in mud. The access road to the resort was also covered with thick mud and rocks.

The Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (MDRRMO) of Polomolok immediately deployed heavy equipment to clear the affected roads, with operations still ongoing as of Thursday morning./coa

Your subscription could not be saved. Please try again.

Your subscription has been successful.