Rescue efforts are underway in the Philippines after a devastating landslide buried two buses in Maco municipality, Davao de Oro province, on Tuesday evening. The incident, triggered by heavy rain, occurred outside a gold mine where buses were picking up workers.
According to officials, at least 11 people were injured, with one in critical condition, as per updates from the municipal disaster agency on Wednesday. However, the exact number of passengers on the buses at the time of the landslide remains unclear.
“Apex Mining is currently working on tracing the whereabouts of the buses dispatched to ferry the outgoing employees,” stated the company in a late Tuesday statement. “Rescue work is hampered by limited visibility and intermittent (land)slides.”
This tragic event adds to the woes of Davao de Oro, already grappling with the aftermath of heavy rains since Jan. 28. Over 20 people have lost their lives in floods and landslides in the region, affecting nearly 800,000 residents.
Meanwhile, Rosa Ma. Cristina Rosete-Manuel, spokesperson for the military’s Eastern Command, reported on Wednesday that rescuers have recovered 45 survivors from another landslide that buried an estimated 86 individuals in a nearby mining town.
“Efforts continue to locate and rescue the rest declared by the Apex Mines firm,” Manuel stated. “The roads remain impassable, and there is no cellphone signal in the area.”
With ongoing rescue operations and adverse weather conditions, authorities are racing against time to reach those affected and prevent further casualties.
