THE death toll in the massive landslide that hit the mining village of Masara in Maco town, Davao de Oro rose to 92, said the Provincial Government Thursday evening, February 15, 2024.
It added that 36 people have remained missing, while at least 32 were injured.
Among those retrieved from the landslide site are just body parts, the Provincial Government said, quoting the 7 p.m. Thursday report of the Maco Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office.
Some of the bodies have not yet been identified, as some of the deaths are still subject for validation.
“As of 7 p.m. karong adlawa (February 15, 2024), aduna na kitay natala nga 92 ka na recover nga patayng lawas diin lakip niini sa nakuha parte nalang sa lawas (we have recovered 92 bodies, among them are just body parts),” the Provincial Government said in a Facebook post.
Rescuers shifted on February 13 the search and rescue operations to search and retrieval, as it has been more than a week since the landslide occurred.
The landslide hit Maco on February 5, burying several houses, a terminal of a bus company, and a barangay hall.
The disaster happened following heavy rains caused by the Northeast Monsoon (Amihan) and the trough of a now dissipated low pressure area since January 28. (LMY)