Three people drowned while 65,000 others were displaced by flood caused by torrential rains in southern Philippines since Sunday, local government officials said Monday.

Disaster officials said the provinces of Davao del Norte, Compostela Valley, and Davao Oriental as well as the cities of Davao and Tagum were badly affected.

In Davao del Norte province, some 38,000 people are still huddled in evacuation centers a day after rescuers took them out of their flooded communities.

Sonio Sanchez, Davao del Norte disaster officer, said a 63-year- old man was swept away as he tried to cross a raging river in Asuncion town while a 17-year-old boy was electrocuted and fell to the rampaging flood in San Miguel village in the provincial capital, Tagum City.

A one-year-old boy also drowned in Compostela town in Compostela Valley province.

In the regional capital city of Davao, more than 5,000 families or some 25,000 individuals have also been evacuated as the Davao river and several of its tributaries overflowed, submerging low- lying communities.

A state of emergency has been declared in flood-stricken areas. Endi

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