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75% of Cotabato City still underwater, NDCC says


MANILA, Philippines - Heavy downpours brought by Typhoon "Frank" and a drainage system blocked by water lilies have put three-fourths of Cotabato City in Mindanao under water, the National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC) said. In its report dated 6 p.m. Saturday, the NDCC said the vegetation and water lilies served as an impounding dam that diverted the water flow of the Rio Grande de Mindanao to low-lying areas. "The heavy downpour as a result of typhoon 'Frank' has left almost more than 75 percent of Cotabato City underwater. One urgent concern is the accumulation of water lilies at the delta bridge estimated seven hectares, three meters thick spanning the entire length of the bridge," it said. As of Saturday night, it said some 14,014 families had been affected, with at least 3,058 families presently housed in 13 evacuation centers. In the Visayas, the Metro Kalibo Water District pumping station was reported operational, even as local officials urged residents to boil or disinfect their drinking water. In Iloilo province, water systems may need four to six months to become fully operational since weather condition contributes to the difficulty in their repair and restoration. Meanwhile, the NDCC said the death toll from "Frank" slightly went up to 557 from 552. The NDCC earlier brought down the death toll after noting a "double count." NDCC figures as of Saturday night also said 826 were injured and 26 remain missing, while some 825,150 families or 4,165,616 persons from 5,641 villages in 412 towns and 53 cities in 49 provinces in 15 regions were affected. Damage to infrastructure and agriculture still stood at P11.583 billion. Also, the NDCC recorded 301 maritime incidents caused by "Frank," excluding the capsizing of the "Princess of the Stars" off Romblon. It said at least 54 were dead while 222 remain missing from those maritime incidents. NDCC said the maritime incidents included 103 in Western Visayas, 53 in Southern Luzon, and 48 in Central-Eastern Visayas. - GMANews.TV
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