ZAMBOANGA CITY, 11 August 2006 — Tropical storms Bopha and Saomai have left a trail of destruction in the centrala and southern Philippines, leaving at least eight people dead and several others missing, officials said yesterday.
In the southernmost island province of Tawi-Tawi, two people died and seven others were reported missing after giant waves and heavy rains battered coastal villages, said provincial Gov. Sadikul Sahali.
Some 1,000 houses built on stilts were destroyed by huge waves and strong winds caused by tropical storm Bopha that hit three villages along the coast of Tawi-Tawi’s island capital of Bongao in the past two days, Bongao Mayor Albert Que said.
At least six members of a family were also reported missing as their house was buried in a landslide on Sarangani island, part of Davao del Sur province early Tuesday, the Office of Civil Defense said.
Elsewhere, a man was killed as big waves washed away about 200 shanties in seaside villages in Talisay City on the central island of Cebu early Wednesday, the OCD said.
Rough seas caused by another tropical storm called Saomai also forced more than 500 coastal villagers to flee their homes in Balingasag, Misamis Oriental province, located in the northern part of the main southern island of Mindanao.
Bopha and Saomai both headed toward Taiwan and China, where they also caused widespread destruction.
Last week, at least seven people were confirmed killed by floods after rampaging waters of a swollen river in Makilala, North Cotabato, swept away houses. On Tuesday, 36 houses were destroyed when a tornado struck the fishing village of Litayen on Bongo Island off Parang, Maguindanao.
Bomb Attacks
Also in Mindanao, two separate bomb explosions yesterday rocked Kidapawan City, wounding at least one army soldier, officials said.
The soldier was trying to defuse one of the bombs when it exploded in front of a building in downtown Kidapawan in North Cotabato province. The other bomb exploded outside a hotel called High Time, said Carlos Bautista, the provincial spokesman.
“We still don’t know who were behind these attacks or the motives behind the two bombings,” he told the Arab News. He said the explosives were assembled from mortar bombs rigged to cell phones to trigger detonation.
“The first explosion was outside the hotel at around 2 p.m. and was followed by another blast ten or fifteen minutes later just as the soldier was trying to disarm the second bomb,” Bautista said.
No group claimed responsibility for the twin attacks, but the Abu Sayyaf group tied to Jemaah Islamiya and communist insurgents are known to actively operate in the province and were involved in previous bombings in Kidapawan.
