La Trinidad, Philippines— Torrential rain hammered the Cordillera highlands from 3 a.m. Tuesday, and by 5:30 a.m. a wall of water roared through a mountain town in Benguet, sweeping away parked vehicles and killing three people.
The flash flood struck Barangay Puguis, a valley town where a narrow river runs beside the main road. Water rose two meters in 20 minutes, according to local disaster officials. A parking area near a market collapsed into the river, taking seven vehicles with it. Three bodies were found downstream.
Two of the victims were inside a van that was carried 200 meters and wedged against a bridge pier. The third, an elderly woman, was trapped inside her roadside home. Nine others were treated for hypothermia and cuts.
"Water came from everywhere, not just the river. Hillsides turned to streams. Cars floated like toys," said Barangay Captain Elena Fianza, who ordered evacuation as water entered the barangay hall. She said sirens failed because power was cut early.
The Philippine Atmospheric agency recorded 142 millimeters of rain in four hours at a nearby gauge. A low-pressure trough enhanced by monsoon flow stalled over northern Luzon. The town sits in a natural choke point where two creeks converge.
Military trucks and backhoes cleared boulders and mud from the highway. The road to Baguio was closed until noon. About 120 families were moved to an elementary school. The Department of Social Welfare distributed food packs.
"Deforestation and clogged drainage made it worse. The river has no room to expand. Every heavy rain now is a threat," a municipal engineer said at the command post. He requested anonymity pending a formal report.
The Mines and Geosciences Bureau warned of further landslides as soil remains saturated. Classes were suspended across La Trinidad and neighboring towns. Power utility Benguet Electric said 60 percent of the town remained without electricity.
Recovery teams will continue searching downstream with drones and dogs. The mayor said an audit of riverbank structures would start once water levels drop.
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