Landslide in the Philippines Claims 54 Lives, Dozens Missing
Updated: 2024-02-11T15:21:17+00:00
A landslide triggered by heavy rains in the mining village of Masara in the southern Philippines has claimed the lives of 54 people, with 63 others still missing, local authorities announced on Sunday. Search and rescue operations are ongoing.
Previously, authorities reported 35 deaths and 77 missing, but 19 bodies were recovered from the rubble removed on Sunday. The landslide buried a bus garage for the mine’s employees and 55 homes in the village on Mindanao Island.
The landslide saw rocks and trees rolling down a mountainside more than 700 meters, covering nearly nine hectares. A three-year-old girl was miraculously found alive under the rubble.
Rescue operations were temporarily halted on Saturday due to two earthquakes, with magnitudes of 5.8 and 5.4, but search efforts are set to continue.
Landslides are frequent occurrences in the Philippines due to its mountainous terrain, heavy rainfall, deforestation for mining, forest fires, and illegal logging. Recent weeks have seen heavy rains causing numerous landslides and floods across Mindanao Island, forcing tens of thousands to seek shelter in emergency shelters.