Five dead in landslides, flash floods in Philippines

 July 16 (IANS) At least five people have been killed by landslides and flash floods triggered by heavy rains that hit Zamboanga City in the southern Philippines, a spokesperson for the local disaster prevention agency said on Tuesday. Elmeir Apolinario of the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office said four died from the landslides and one from drowning, reported Xinhua news agency. Apolinario said the bodies of the five victims, which include a 29-year-old mother and her six-year-old son, and a 47-year-old father and his 10-year-old son, were all accounted for. Apolinario said the heavy downpour on Friday night triggered two landslides and massive flooding in the city, affecting at least 4,000 families. Zamboanga City is among the five regions in Mindanao that suffered from flooding and landslides over the weekend, affecting over 60,000 families. --IANS int/rs/svn