By MARTIN SADONGDONG
FORTY-THREE bodies have been dug up under a pile of mud and dirt as rescuers work round-the-clock to find survivors of a massive landslide that hit an abandoned mining site in Itogon, Benguet Saturday.
As authorities began the painful process of identifying the dead, rescuers made up of policemen and civilian volunteers worked through the night defying cold and wet conditions in the hope of finding survivors.
Rescuers used bare hands and shovels to get through thick mud and stones and brought dogs to help in the search for survivors.
So far, only one has been rescued with at least 30 more still missing, according to presidential spokesman Harry Roque, citing a report relayed to him by Armed Forces (AFP) chief of staff Carlito Galvez Jr.
“As of last night, dito po sa Itogon alone, 43 ang nasawi, isa ang narecover na buhay at 30 pa po ang. This is as of 9 p.m. (Sunday),” said Roque who had just flown back from Benguet accompanied by Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Director General Oscar Albayalde.
The lone survivor and fatalities were among a hundred small-scale miners who took shelter at an old three-story building which also served as a chapel.
At the height of Typhoon Ompong which lashed Northern Luzon, part of a mountain slope collapsed and buried the structure, a former mining bunkhouse.
Roque said even before the arrival of the typhoon, the victims had been told to evacuate but ignored the warning.
“May naunang report na pinapaalis na ‘yung mga taong ‘yan sa lugar na ito pero nag-akala ‘yung mga taong ‘yun na ligtas sila sa simbahan na ‘yun. Ginagamit na simbahan pero abandoned facility ito ng isang mining company,” Roque said.
The discovery of the bodies raised the death toll to 65 with the number expected to rise.
“Nakakalungkot po na dahil nga dito sa insidente sa Itogon, inaasahan na tataas pa ang figure,” Roque said.
As of 9 p.m. Sunday, the breakdown of fatalities according to the PNP is as follows: 54 in Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR), seven in Cagayan Valley (Region 2), two in Central Luzon (Region 3), and one each in National Capital Region (NCR) and Ilocos (Region 1).
The PNP said 64 have been injured and 43 remain missing, including 42 from CAR.
A total of 18,891 families or 155,869 individuals were evacuated in 9,488 temporary shelters in the affected regions.
The number of destroyed houses and infrastructure totals 2,862 while 334 areas remain flooded and 69 roads impassable, according to the PNP.
Roque said President Duterte was set to meet the families of the victims later in the day to be followed by a situation briefing to be led by Benguet Governor Cresencio Pacalso.
“Ang sabi sa akin kaninang umaga ni Governor Pacalso, wala naman daw kinalaman ang small scale miners dito sa pangyayaring ito sa Itogon dahil ang minahan nasa baba, ang gumuho nasa taas. So talagang ‘yung tindi lang ng ulan ang nagpalambot sa lupa doon sa taas ng bundok sa Itogon,” Roque explained.