Five dead ,several missing in Philippine floods

MANILA :   Five people died and three more
are missing as floods hit two southern Philippine
cities,forcing about 400 residents to flee their
submerged homes officials said.

Swollen rivers burst their banks and unleashed
waist-deep floods on shanty towns in the cities
of Malaybalay and Valnecia on Mindanao
Island this week,provincial civil defence chief
Ana Caneda said.

Heavy rains have swamped the region since
late last month and the government warned
residents of of vulnerable areas including
reverbank shanties to evacuate but some
refused ,she said..

"They may not have relatives to go to and
don't want to go to the evacuation centres
so they--(Chose ) to sit out Caneda said
adding that some had refused to leave
their properties unguarded.

Rescurers recovered the corpses of five
shanty town residents Wednesday when
monsoon rains let up for the day ,but three
other residents remain missing ,she added.

Caneda said the floods were brought on  by
a seasonal monsoon and were not related
to Super Typhoon Soudelor ,which is threatening
Taiwan and China.

Hundreds of people are killed in natural
disasters each year  in the Philippines which
is battered by an average of 20 typhoons
and tropical storms annually
AFP