Cagayan de Oro Flashflood (CDO): At least 300 Dead, 600 Missing in Typhoon Sendong CDO and Iligan Flashflood

Cagayan de Oro Flashflood (CDO): At least 300 Dead, 600 Missing in Typhoon Sendong CDO and Iligan Flashflood

At least 300 people are dead, more than 600 are still missing and more than 2,000 have been rescued in Cagayan de Oro and Iligan City after a flashflood and landslide strucked the area following a 10-hours of rain caused by Tropical Storm Sendong in this part of the Philippines.

The vast majority of the bodies were found in the cities of Iligan and Cagayan de Oro, according to military officials and the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council. Five people were killed in a landslide, but all others died in flash flooding.

Benito Ramos, Chairman of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, said the provinces of Compostela Valley and Zamboanga del Norte were also hit by Sendong while Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin revealed that they are still validating reports that an entire village was swept away. They also embarked 20,000 soldiers to do search-and-rescue operations in the area.

At least 20,000 people are now staying in 10 evacuation centers in Cagayan de Oro, Social Welfare Secretary Dinky Soliman said Saturday.

Photos: Jerry Go Calimpong on FB