At least thirteen dead due to heavy flooding in the southern Philippines

MANILA, Oct. 28 (DPA/EP) –

At least thirteen people have died from flooding caused by heavy rains over the past day in Maguindanao province in the southern Philippines.

The authorities have reported this Friday that the deceased are concentrated in the towns of Datu odin Sinsuat and Datu Blah Sinsuat, more than 900 kilometers from Manila, the capital.

Nasrullah Imam, head of the provincial disaster management office, has pointed out that “most have died from the floods and landslides, which have left homes buried.” “Some victims have been trapped in their homes,” he said before warning that the death toll could be higher given that there are people unaccounted for.

The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) has warned that Tropical Storm ‘Nalgae’ is expected to bring heavy rainfall to the western part of the archipelago by the weekend.

The storm is moving at about 25 kilometers per hour with maximum sustained winds of 75 kilometers per hour and gusts of up to 90 kilometers per hour, according to the country’s meteorological agency.