Flash flood leaves 1 dead, 4 injured after heavy rain in Maasim, Philippines

ByRishav Kothari

Hours of heavy rainfall associated with the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) caused flash floods in Maasim, Sarangani Province, southern Mindanao, on October 6, 2025. At least one person was electrocuted, and four others were injured as floodwaters forced the closure of sections of the national highway.

Flooding in Maasim, Philippines on October 6, 2025. Credit: RP Davao

Flooding in Maasim, Philippines on October 6, 2025. Credit: RP Davao

Heavy rain struck Maasim town, Sarangani Province, southern Mindanao, Philippines, on October 6, causing flash floods that temporarily shut down portions of the national highway traversing the area.

At least one person was electrocuted while four others were injured during the floods, local media reported.

At around 15:00 LT (local time), floodwaters mixed with mud, logs, branches, and other debris surged across the highway in Barangay Tinago, Poblacion, after Tinago Creek overflowed, leaving the highway impassable.

Videos of the flooding went viral on social media. One video showed a man clinging to a tree in order to save himself from the flooding waters rushing past him.

According to the Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (MDRRMO), the creek had been partly clogged by debris from nearby slopes, worsening the overflow.

At least four barangays were damaged by the flash flooding, affecting approximately 100 families, according to the Maasim Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (MDRRMO). Over 20 houses were damaged or submerged, forcing residents to evacuate and seek immediate shelter.

By late evening, road-clearing operations had removed most obstructions, allowing vehicles to pass through reopened sections.

The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) attributed the rains to the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ), which continues to bring scattered and occasionally intense rainfall across parts of Mindanao.

MDRRMO stated that relief and assessment teams had been mobilized to evaluate the impacts, assist residents, and restore disrupted utilities.

The Sarangani provincial government said that it would provide assistance to affected communities. PAGASA forecasts continued light to moderate rain and a risk of localized flooding through October 7.

Road crews remain on alert for additional runoff or slope movement, and local disaster units continue to advise residents and motorists to stay vigilant during periods of heavy rain and to follow any evacuation or traffic advisories.

References:

1 Rainfall Advisory No. 8 Amendment #MINPRSD – PAGASA – October 7, 2025

Rishav Kothari is Editor-in-Chief of The Watchers, where he runs the newsroom and covers earthquakes, volcanoes, severe weather and space weather.

Share:

Published in the last 24 hours

  1. In September 1859, a solar storm lit up the night sky so brightly that gold miners in the Rocky Mountains woke up after midnight and started cooking breakfast, convinced the aurora glowing over their camp was the sunrise Epicenter
  2. A patch of warm Pacific water that could become the strongest El Niño in more than 70 years sits thousands of miles from any American town, yet it is already the main reason NOAA expects a wetter winter across the South and a milder one across the North
  3. A 19-year-old Nebraska teacher reportedly tied her pupils together with twine and led them to safety through a blizzard in January 1888 Epicenter
  4. NASA built the Opportunity rover to last 90 days on Mars, and Martian winds helped keep it alive for nearly 15 years by blowing dust off its solar panels, until a planet-wide dust storm in 2018 blocked sunlight and silenced the rover Epicenter

From around the web