(UPDATE) Child, 10, drowns as flood water submerged SK, Maguindanao

COTABATO CITY - A 10-year-old child died when floods submergedSultan Kudarat, Maguindanao low lying villages, including portions of national highway as bad weather continue to affect mainland Mindanao Thursday.In a statement, the Humanitarian Emergency Assistance and Relief Team (HEART) of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, said the fatality, Jing Laure, who fell while trying to climb to the roof of their house, was swept away by flood waters.The HEART said 9,800 villagers in 10 barangays in Sultan Kudarat were affected by the flashfloods.All of the affected areas are near rivers which swelled and overflowed following three days of torrential rains.The national highway linking Cotabato City to North Cotabato has turned into a river when water started rising at dawn Thursday. Water was still rising as of posting.ARMM-HEART personnel,led by Ramil Masukat, regional disaster risk reduction management officer, conducted an ocular inspection with SK Mayor Shameen Mastura.Hundreds of families living in the interior portion of Sultan Kudarat town,which sits beside the Rio Grande de Mindanao and south of Simuay river, have been evacuated, disaster officials said.Officials said the overflow of Simuay river following three days of intense rain brought about by inter tropical convergence zone triggered the floods.As in the past, flood water may rise further when sea water enter Rio Grande during high tide.Roads remained passable for heavy vehicles but not for sedan and small cars.