At least four persons, three of them children, were reported killed while close to 7,000 people have been moved to safer grounds as flashfloods triggered by heavy rains swept large areas in the Caraga region in Mindanao and the town of Naujan in Oriental Mindoro, disaster officials said Monday.

The Philippine National Red Cross said its emergency response units and the Provincial Disaster Coordinating Council have evacuated 516 families or 2,399 persons from affected areas in Naujan. The families are temporarily sheltered in seven evacuation centers.

PNRC Secretary General Gwendolyn Pang told the Philippines News Agency that the victims have been provided food, clothing and medicines.

Pang said the evacuees are housed in the Mainit Municipal Gym, Quezon Elementary School, Pastoral Center, Department of Agriculture (DA) Training Center, Barangay Tapian Hall, Barangay Tagbuyawan Hall and Barangay Mansayao Hall.

“PNRC Mindoro Oriental chapter is still conducting survey in the flooded areas,” Pang said.

At least two persons were confirmed dead in Naujan and about 100 houses in 21 barangays were damaged after heavy rains triggered the flashfloods late Sunday night.

Officials identified one of the fatalities as Kenneth Patricio, 13, who was drowned but his body remained missing.

Naujan Mayor Romar Marcos said in a text message that they need help from the National Disaster Coordinating Council, PNRC and other disaster and relief agencies. He asked for rubber boats, food and medicines.

Alan Virtucio of the Office of Civil Defense in Region IV-B said in a text message that incessant rains and the overflowing of several rivers caused the floods.
Virtucio said residents claim a collapsed dike aggravated the flooding.

He said the rescue operations were launched Sunday night and were ongoing.

Mindoro Oriental Governor Arnan Panaligan said authorities are still confirming the casualty reports. He said 12 families have been evacuated by the provincial rescue group.

In Caraga, at least 880 families or 4,498 individuals were affected by flashfloods, the Office of Civil Defense reported Monday.

The OCD said 31 barangays in Agusan del Norte, Agusan del Sur, Surigao del Norte and Surigao del Sur were submerged due to weeklong torrential rains.

At least 3, 634 persons were affected in Agusan del Norte, 745 persons in Surigao del Norte, 119 in Agusan del Sur, and more than 100 persons in Tandag City, Surigao del Sur.

The affected families were brought to eight evacuation centers established by the provincial and municipal disaster councils in affected provinces and cities.

Two fatalities were already reported in Barangay Tagapua, San Francisco town, Agusan del Sur, the OCD said.

“LGUs in affected provinces and cities are still conducting assessment of the effect of the weeklong continuous rains,” said Northeastern Mindanao OCD Director Blanche T. Gobenciong.

Gobencion identified the Caraga fatalities as Lovely Agonos Lamery, 9 years old, and Jalin Noja Encarnacion, 11.

The girls were riding an improvised raft down the Gibong River in the town of San Francisco last Sunday when they were hit by rushing waters that caused the improvised boat to capsize.

The OCD also said roads to New Visayas and Barangay Ladgada also in San Francisco were not passable due to high water.

The local government unit of Jabonga town, Agusan del Norte also conducted pre-emptive evacuation of residents from Barangays Colorado, Magsaysay and Poblacion and provided food assistance to the evacuees.

The regional office of the National Food Authority has already positioned 13,300 bags of rice in the province of Dinagat Islands.