Landslide in southern Philippines, 6 dead, 46 missing – Dainik Savera Times

Manila: At least six people have been killed and 46 others missing after a landslide hit a gold mining village in the southern Philippines. Officials gave this information on Wednesday. According to officials, gold mine workers are also among those missing. Army troops, police and volunteers jointly evacuated 31 villagers injured in a landslide Tuesday night in the mountainous village of Masara in Maco, a remote town in Davao de Oro province, officials said.

Officials said they resumed the operation on Wednesday morning after suspending the search operation the night before due to fears of more landslides. Disaster Response Force officials said more than 750 families have been moved to relief centers since the landslide. Davao de Oro province spokesman Edward Makapili said the missing included 27 miners who were aboard two buses waiting to go home.

Edward Makapili said that 8 of the miners who were waiting jumped out of the bus windows or were thrown away and survived. The third bus had already left at the time of the landslide. He said intermittent torrential rains in the area in recent weeks had subsided and the weather had remained clear for the past three days. ‘It all happened so quickly,’ said Edward Makapili. He suddenly saw debris falling towards him due to the landslide.

Regional military spokeswoman Colonel Rosa Rosette-Manuel said by telephone that the three seriously injured victims would be evacuated by helicopter. More than a dozen villagers have died in floods and landslide-related incidents in recent weeks, while several earthquakes in recent months have damaged buildings in the south-eastern region, according to disaster response department officials.