A landslide buried at least 13 people, with seven already confirmed dead, at Purok 20, Pag-asa, Barangay Mt. Diwata, Monkayo, Davao de Oro on Thursday, January 18, 2024.
Jergrace Cabag, information officer of the Local Government Unit (LGU)-Monkayo, told SunStar Davao in a phone interview that seven of the victims have been confirmed dead, one is critically injured, and the search for the other five is ongoing.
“Sa hinay-hinay nga retrieval kay naghimo man ta ug search and retrieval rescue operations naa tay nakuha nga pito ka mga patay ug isa ka severely injured (Given the gradual pace of our retrieval efforts, as we conducted search and rescue operations, we were able to recover seven deceased individuals and one severely injured),” Cabag said.
She said that the injured individual was promptly taken to Davao de Oro Provincial Hospital for immediate medical attention, while the deceased were sent to the funeral parlor.
The landslide occurred during a prayer meeting inside one of the homes, leading to multiple victims in that specific house.
As of 3:34 p.m. on the same day, search, rescue, and retrieval operations were temporarily halted due to the ongoing landslide and heavy rain.
Cabag said that the search for the remaining five individuals will resume when conditions permit.
She then reminded residents about the importance of adhering to government warnings to prevent incidents.
The Municipality of Monkayo's Facebook page confirmed the death of seven residents, prompting Mayor Manuel E. Zamora to issue Memorandum Order Number 2024-015 for forced evacuation due to the intense rain, flooding, and landslide threat. RGP