At least 31 dead in floods, landslides in south Philippines

COTABATO, Philippines (AP) — Philippine officials say torrential rains set off flash floods and landslides that swamped a southern province, killing at least 31 people and leaving nine others missing. They say most victims died from drowning or landslides in Maguindanao province. Floodwaters rapidly rose in many low-lying villages, forcing some residents to climb onto their roofs, where they were rescued by army troops. The unusually heavy rains that flooded Maguindanao and surrounding provinces were caused by Tropical Storm Nalgae, which forecasters expect to slam into the country’s eastern coast on Saturday.