Cotabato (Philippines), July 31 (Xinhua) At least eight people were drowned and thousands lost their homes in flash floods in southern Philippines, officials said Friday.

Five people, including three children, were killed when their home was swept away in a flash flood in Malapatan town in Sarangani province Thursday, Zorahayda Taha, director of the social welfare department, said. The floods displaced more than eight thousand families in the area.

Three more people drowned in Mindanao province after the waters of the Rio Grande de Mindanao river entered the Cotabato city. More than 18,000 families were affected here, Taha said.

Sam Mundas, spokesperson of the Cotabato disaster coordinating council, said 23 out of 37 villages in Cotabato City of Mindanao province were affected by the flood.