This is the terrifying moment flash floods wrecked wooden houses during a rainstorm in the Philippines.

The heavy downpour triggered a deluge that tore down several houses in Malita town, Davao Occidental province on May 9. Villagers were preparing to evacuate when the rush of water intensified, felling a coconut tree and sweeping away small shanties.

Onlooker Darryl Baway said: 'We were preparing to evacuate and were waiting for help, when suddenly the houses were gradually destroyed and swept away by the heavy rain. We could do nothing but pray.'

State weather bureau PAGASA said the inclement weather was caused by the Intertropical Convergence Zone bringing thunderstorms and scattered rain showers over the country's southern islands.

The rain that started on May 8 evening caused the Mana River next to the town to overflow, a report from the Philippine Social Welfare and Development department said. The resulting floods affected some 1,951 families in the Davao region, it added.