Manila, Jul 15 (IANS): The death toll caused by massive flooding hitting Bangsamoro in the southern Philippines has climbed to eight as the area continues to grapple with torrential rains, a local official said Monday.

Benjamin Alip, municipal disaster officer in Pagalungan of Maguindanao del Sur province in Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), said in a radio interview that a 22-year-old male from the town drowned while rescuing his cow from floodwaters, bringing the total number of flood-related deaths to eight in Bangsamoro.

Pagalungan was among the 22 towns in Maguindanao del Sur province submerged in floodwaters, which also affected neighboring Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, and Maguindanao del Norte provinces, reports Xinhua news agency.

The Philippine National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council said the flood triggered by heavy downpours since last week has affected over 60,000 families in five regions of the Southeast Asian country.