LANDSLIDE. The portion of a highway in Sitio Kikubang, Mantangkil, Arakan, North Cotabato, which was hit by a landslide on Saturday (Jan. 23, 2021) following heavy rains. The town has also reported flooding in several of its low-lying villages. (Photo courtesy of Arakan LGU)
ARAKAN, North Cotabato – Torrential rains triggered floods and landslides in some villages here on Saturday, causing damage to properties.
Joan Gafate, the municipal disaster management officer, said several small houses, motorcycles, and a vehicle were among those destroyed by floods, although no casualties were recorded so far.
Gafate said mud covered a convenience store, carwash establishment, and four motorcycles during a major landslide in Sitio Kikubang, Barangay Mantangkil.
The landslide also blocked a secondary national road that links local farmers to market centers in Davao City.
“Our town is considered a landslide-prone area, particularly in villages situated in our borders with Bukidnon province and Davao City,” Gafate said.
The local government unit has already dispatched heavy equipment and a team from the engineering office to clear the road from mud and other debris.
Gafate said flash floods were reported in the adjoining villages of Libertad and Ganatan, where a multicab vehicle was washed away by overflowing waters from the Tinanan River.
Portions of the Poblacion area also experienced flooding, he added. (PNA)
