Thousands affected by floods in S. Philippines

Thousands of people have been displaced following a flash flood caused by heavy downpour over the past few days in southern Philippines, a local official said Wednesday.

Over 14,000 people have evacuated in the town of Pagalungan as floods caused by continuous heavy rains hit their villages, said mayor Norodin Matalam.

"As of Now, there were no reported casualties. Farm crops in some regions were destroyed. The Department of Social Welfare and Development have already provided people with relief assistance," Matalam said.

Earlier this week, at least 8,200 families were also affected by floods in Sultan Kudarat town.

The local disaster control department is closely monitoring the situation and preparing for mass evacuation of the affected residents if the situation worsens.

Source: Xinhua