At least 4,202 individuals from 1,005 families have been evacuated from their homes in 52 barangays in northern Negros Occidental since Monday due to non-stop rains that caused floods and soil erosion brought by Tropical Depression Agaton.
Data released by the Provincial Disaster Management Program Division (PDMPD) on Tuesday showed seven local government units have been affected, including the towns of Manapla and E.B. Magalona as well as the cities of Talisay, Silay, Victorias, Cadiz, and Escalante.
Evacuated families took shelter in schools, chapels, covered courts, municipal and barangay halls, the report said.
Meanwhile, landslides have been reported along the Negros TransLink Eco-Tourism Highway in San Carlos City and Barangay Alijis in this capital city also due to heavy rains.
Early Tuesday morning, the upper portion of the highway had been rendered impassable, but with continuing clearing of debris, one lane has already been opened to traffic hours later.
“The public, including motorists, are advised to take precautionary measures as clearing operations are still being conducted,” the San Carlos City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (DRRMO) said in its advisory.
No damage to properties or injuries has been reported.
In Bacolod, some 55 individuals from 19 families have been preemptively evacuated due to the impending hazard of a rain-induced landslide on Monday afternoon.
Affected families in Purok San Jose 1 and 2 of Barangay Alijis were safely transported to Emilia J. Garcia Elementary School evacuation center.
Source: Philippines News Agency