500 Zambo City villagers flee storm surge

ZAMBOANGA CITY , Philippines – Nineteen houses were destroyed and more than 500 residents were evacuated when a storm surge hit a village in this city Thursday night.

Ronald Maravilla, Barangay Labuan chief, said no one was reported injured when waves slammed against houses made of light materials in Purok 5.

The evacuees were temporarily sheltered in schools, Maravilla said.

The local weather bureau reported that the storm surge was triggered by the southwest monsoon, which was brought by the inter-tropical convergent zone.

Early this week, waves also destroyed two houses in Barangay Sinunuc while two others were blown away by a tornado.