2 missing in Cebu floods

CEBU CITY (Updated 5:20 p.m.) -- Two young children were missing after they were carried away by floods in two areas in two Cebu cities.

Heavy rains Tuesday morning that lasted for two hours inundated some areas in Mandaue and Cebu cities, stalling hundreds of motorists.

Four fire trucks that were on their way to a fire scene in Mabolo village in the metropolis were also stalled in the flood.

Police said the two missing children, one was from Mandaue City while another is from downtown Cebu City, remained unidentified as of this posting. Both kids were playing under the rain when swept by the flood.

The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Administration (Pagasa) recorded 36 millimeter of rainfall in Cebu City Tuesday morning, which is considered extreme due to La Niña phenomenon.

CEBU. A mother and child wait for the flood to subside at Barangay Tipolo Mandaue. (Alex Badayos)

Pagasa said that without La Niña, rainfall is only at 3.67 millimeter per day.

Oscar Tabada of Pagasa likened that situation to Ormoc in where there was cloudburst, as rain was concentrated only in Mandaue, Lapu-Lapu and some parts of Cebu City.

Meanwhile, Bowen Gothong, a member of Cebu City zoning board, blamed former Cebu City Planning Officer Nigel Paul Villarete for approving construction of bridge over a canal leading to the Southern Gothong container yard on T. Padilla St., saying it blocked rainwater, causing flood, bumper-to-bumper traffic at the North Reclamation Area.

The area, which is within the vicinity of SM City Cebu was heavily hit by the flood.

Governor Gwendolyn Garcia, on the other hand, called on mayors to prioritize the cleaning of drainage canals in the province to prevent flooding. (LCR/JGA/KAL/BAP/EOB/Sun.Star Cebu)