By CALVIN CORDOVA, LESLEY VESTIL, FRANCIS WAKEFIELD
CEBU CITY – The number of fatalities in the landslide that hit Sitio Sindulan in Barangay Tinaan, Naga City, southern Cebu, has risen to more than 10, according to the Office of Civil Defense in Region 7.
Director Concepcion Ornopia, OCD7 regional director and chairperson of Regional Risk Reduction Management Council (RDRRMC7), also said eight persons were injured while around 50 others remained missing as of 6 p.m. yesterday.
Authorities reported that a portion of a mountain at Sitio Sindulan collapsed at 6 a.m. Thursday.
Seven of the fatalities were identified as Bethel Faith Echavez, 4; Olivia Meneses Moral, 63; Ariel Lobiano, 52; Romeo Javanilla, 50; Mark Laurence Campanilla, 3; and Michael Versales, 3; Vianca Versales, 16;
Those who were hurt were identified as Rose Ann Lobiano, 40; Christopher Cemeller, 44; Nestor Capoy, 52; Jonalyn Siton, 16; Jocelyn Siton, 38; Basilia Omambac, 58; Sidney Ravanez, 35; and Baby Jane Ravanez, 8.
The injured victims were brought to Talisay District Hospital.
According to Julius Regner of Cebu Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction Office, some 315 individuals were evacuated.
Chief Inspector Roderick Gonzales, head of the Naga Police Station, said that the massive landslide buried at least 20 houses in Sindulan and another four in Barangay Naalad.
Baltazar Tribunalo, head of the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO), said 20 to 30 residents were feared to have been buried alive.
“We received a text message from a family asking for help. They were in the comfort room of their house,” said Tribunalo.
Paz Capoy, 52, a resident in the area, claimed that while she was cooking rice in her neighbor’s house at around 6 a.m., she heard a loud rumbling sound coming from the hillside portion of the barangay.
As Capoy and her neighbors were checking the commotion, they saw a huge wave of earth and rock rushing from the hillside towards the houses below.
Emergency response units from various local government units have helped in the search and rescue operations.
Affected families were transferred to evacuation centers, government officials said.
“We are making sure that the needs of the evacuees are being taken care of. I have already instructed our social welfare office to send water, blankets and other basic needs to evacuation centers,” said Cebu Governor Hilario Davide III, who went to the site to assess the situation.
Five barangays – Tinaan, Naalad, Mainit, Pangdan and Cabungahan – have been placed under state of calamity, said Naga Mayor Kristine Vanessa Chiong.
The Mines and Geosciences Bureau-Central Visayas (MGB 7) said heavy rainfall on the night of Sept. 19 and early morning of Sept. 20 may have triggered the landslide.
The area is underlain by limestone rocks, and cracks and fissures are common in the area.
In a statement, the MGB 7 said that prior to yesterday’s incident, it has issued advisories to local government units in the region due to intense rainfall occurrence caused by Habagat.
The MGB 7 had advised the public to stay away from danger zone and for the rescue teams to take precautionary measures as there may be continues movement in the landslide area.
Chiong confirmed that she had issued a cease and desist order against a quarry area near the place where the landslide happened.
The mayor, however, refused to talk more on the order she had issued.
“Let’s focus first on our efforts to help the victims. It is not the best time to point fingers,” said Chiong.