Typhoon Inday and Habagat Trigger Deadly Landslides and Floods, 18 Dead

Courtesy: DOST-PAGASA

At least 18 people are confirmed dead and 12 others remain missing after devastating flash floods and landslides swept across the country. The disaster was triggered by Typhoon Inday (international name: Bavi) and an enhanced southwest monsoon (habagat).

Data released by the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) in its latest situational update shows that Mindanao bore the brunt of the severe weather. Rescuers face severe operational blockages from caved-in highways, broken bridges, and thick mud.

Landslides Claim Lives in Sarangani and Lanao del Sur

The Office of Civil Defense (OCD) confirmed that the majority of the 18 fatalities were buried by rain-induced landslides.

In Malapatan, Sarangani, a massive early-morning landslide buried a farming household in Sitio Pandaw, Barangay Poblacion, killing 10 members of two families. Mayor Salway Sumbo Jr. noted that the victims were already vulnerable survivors of a recent magnitude 7.8 earthquake. Rescuers had to trek up to five hours on foot and by motorcycle just to reach the isolated impact zone.

Meanwhile, a separate landslide in Calanogas, Lanao del Sur, claimed six lives and left five people missing. Search and rescue personnel have been deployed to the area, though local roads are entirely blocked to incoming vehicles. Two additional casualties due to drowning were logged in Bukidnon.

Emergency units are also rushing to locate seven individuals missing in Jose Abad Santos, Davao Occidental, raising the nationwide missing toll to 12.

Critical Infrastructure Imminent Failure & Gridlock

The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) reported sweeping disruptions to the national transport network, leaving several provinces partly isolated:

Sultan Kudarat Cut Off: Major landslides completely blocked Apo Park in Barangay Pansud, Lebak. Mudflows and fallen trees have rendered the Sangay-Palimbang road section impassable, while the critical Sebayor Bridge in Kalamansig suffered severe structural failure and is entirely broken.

Davao Occidental Highway Collapse: In neighboring Barangay Tanuman, traffic is restricted to a single lane for light vehicles only; heavy transport trucks have been strictly banned due to underlying soil instability.

Metro Manila Bridge Closure: In Quezon City, the Culiat Bridge along Commonwealth Avenue remains closed in both directions. The Quezon City Local Government implemented an emergency rerouting scheme while structural engineers test the bridge's integrity following an intense fire event.

Kennon Road Reopened: A soil collapse early this morning temporarily closed Kennon Road near Baguio City, but DPWH-Cordillera crews managed to clear the debris. Officials still caution drivers against non-essential mountain travel due to saturated slopes.

Over Half a Million Displaced by Rising Floodwaters

The combined onslaught of Typhoon Inday and the habagat has upended life for 514,700 individuals (approximately 112,500 families) across 404 barangays.

In Western Visayas, relentless rainfall forced the Philippine Coast Guard to deploy rubber boats for urban water rescues in Oton, Iloilo, and Bugasong, Antique, where a Red Rainfall Warning was hoisted.

In Bukidnon, agricultural devastation spread as the Sawaga and Pulangi rivers overflowed into Malaybalay City, submerging 173 hectares of farmland and paralyzing school zones. Face-to-face classes have been officially suspended in multiple municipalities across Bukidnon and Sultan Kudarat. Farther west in Mimaropa, over 500 citizens are crammed into temporary shelters after overflowing rivers breached concrete floodwalls in Sablayan, Occidental Mindoro.

The PAGASA Weather Bureau warned that even though Typhoon Inday has left the Philippine Area of Responsibility, the tail-end of the habagat will continue dumping heavy rain across Luzon and Western Visayas. Local executives are maintaining strict orders for preemptive evacuations in communities bordering active rivers and landslide-prone mountain bases.