14 villages in N. Ecija city, 3 towns flooded
For the latest Philippine news stories and videos, visit GMANews.TV
October 3, 2008
Philippine Daily Inquirer
By Anselmo Roque
CABANATUAN CITY – Floodwaters yesterday submerged at least 14 villages in three towns and one city in Nueva Ecija, prompting hundreds of families to seek safe grounds.
Flooded were the villages of Pambuan, San Vicente, Sto Niño, San Nicolas and Bukana in Gapan City; Castellano and Nieves in San Leonardo; Poblacion East and Rio Chico in General Tinio; and three other villages in Gabaldon town.
Antonio Nangel, operations manager of the Upper Pampanga River Integrated Irrigation System (UPRIIS), said the water came from Peñaranda and Pampanga rivers, which overflowed due to continous rains since Wednesday.
He said the Pantabangan Dam was still 10 meters from spilling level.
Water level in a portion of the Maharlika Highway between San Leonardo and Gapan City was neck-deep or about five feet, according to Supt. Marlon Bingcang, Gapan City police chief, Traffic was rerouted to Jaen and San Isidro towns.
Arnel Tecson, barangay chair of San Vicente in Gapan, said rescue workers were trying to reach 10 people perched on rooftops on Thursday morning.
Gapan Mayor Ernesto Natividad was leading the rescue efforts and evacuation of affected families starting at 2 a.m. yesterday, Tecson said.
In General Tinio, 50 families were evacuated to the town’s gymnasium and other government buildings, according to a police report.
Gov. Aurelio Umali said the Provincial Disaster Coordinating Council had mobilized teams to help rescue efforts and assist families in evacuation centers.
No comments:
Post a Comment