20 drown in Philippines

    By IANS,

    Manila: At least 20 people died in flash floods in central and southern parts of Philippines, a senior government official said Friday.

    The victims died due to drowning while two people were reported missing after they were swept away by a flash flood in Mabinay town, in Negros Oriental province, said Eduardo del Rosario, executive director, National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, reports Xinhua.

    More than 207,900 people are affected in 193 villages of 13 provinces, he added.

    The estimated cost of damage to infrastructure has already reached $1.02 million for Negros Oriental province alone.

    Visayas and Mindanao regions have been badly affected due to continuous rains and thunderstorms brought by an inter-tropical convergence zone.