Islamabad, 13 February 2024 (TDI): Pakistan conveyed heartfelt condolences to both the government and people of the Philippines, as well as to the families that were affected by the tragic landslide that occurred on Tuesday, February 6th, near a mining site in Maco town.
The spokesperson for Pakistan emphasized that such incidents are a reminder of the destructive impacts of climate change.
As reported today, the death toll from a landslide that hit the southern Philippines has jumped to 68. Still, there are 51 people who have not been found yet.
Hundreds of rescuers have used their bare hands, shovels, and heavy earth-moving equipment for nearly a week looking for those buried since Tuesday’s landslide hit Masara, a village in the town of Maco.
Edward Macapili, spokesman for the Davao de Oro provincial disaster office, said, “It is almost a week after the incident, and… we are assuming that no one is alive there.”
“There is already a foul smell in the area now, so there’s a need to fast-track the retrieval.”
An area around 50 meters deep remains to be searched, he added.
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From Tuesday onwards, disaster authorities in Maco town, led by Ariel Capoy, are planning to shift their efforts from search and rescue to search and retrieval.
Despite authorities ensuring that they will continue their search operation until missing persons are found,.
The landslide buried three buses, a jeepney waiting for employees of a gold mining firm, and 55 nearby houses, leaving 32 other people injured.
Rocks, mud, and trees slid more than 700 meters (2,300 feet) down a steep mountainside near the Apex Mining Co. concession, burying an 8.9-hectare (22-acre) section of the Masara community.
The aftermath of the relentless rain in the southern region forced tens of thousands of individuals to take shelter in emergency facilities.
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