TWELVE personnel of Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (DRRMO) in Talisay City, Negros Occidental went to City of Naga in Cebu on Tuesday, September 25, to help other rescuers in the search and retrieval operations at the landslide site in Sitio Sindulan, Barangay Tina-an.

As of Tuesday, the number of fatalities already reached 64 while 26 individuals remain missing.

Geoffrey Gutierrez, head of CDRRMO, told SunStar Bacolod they departed from the province at 11 a.m. and arrived at City of Naga at 6 p.m. Two vehicles, a pick-up truck, and an ambulance were also sent to Naga.

Guttierez said it was Mayor Neil Lizares' initiative to send them to Naga to also extend their help in the rescue operations which was shifted to retrieval operations Thursday, September 27.

The City Government of Talisay has also extended financial assistance to them.

Guttierez said they were supposed to return home Friday but they were told to extend until Sunday because rescuers there need more manpower for the retrieval operations.

They were divided into two teams, one shift from 10 a.m. to 4:30 pm. and another team from 4:30 p.m. until dawn.

They went to the ground zero and even helped in the retrieval of two bodies on Thursday.

Guttierez said they are just camping out at the compound of Apo-Cemex Corporation, whose collapsed quarry caused a landslide in Naga City on September 20.