MANILA: Seven soldiers were injured after a landmine, which was believed to have been planted by members of the leftist rebel group New People’s Army (NPA), exploded in North Cotabato yesterday, a military official said.
Lt Col Nilo Vinluan, commander of the Philippine Army’s 57th Infantry Battalion, said government troops were on their way to an operation when the landmine went off in Makilala town in North Cotabato province.
Vinluan said the soldiers were aboard military vehicles when they ran over the landmine planted by leftist rebels in Luna Sur village at around 12.45am.
Landslide death toll reaches 56
MANILA: The number of people killed due to landslides and flooding in southern Philippines went up to 56, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said yesterday.
NDRRMC said in a report that 83 others were injured while 10 people were reported missing.
The Philippine disaster agency said landslides and flooding caused by tropical depression Lingling damaged P382.96m ($8.45m) worth of crops and infrastructure.
A total of 240,521 families or 1.13 million individuals were affected by the weather disturbance. Of those affected, 37,415 families or 181,233 individuals were displaced and are currently housed in evacuation centres.
Deployment of workers banned
MANILA: The government yesterday stopped the deployment of Filipino workers to Thailand due to the escalating hostilities in the neighbouring Asian country.
Labour Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz said the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) governing board approved a resolution restricting the deployment of Filipino workers to certain areas in Thailand.
Agencies
