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Philippines landslide: Several killed in gold-mining village

February 7, 2024

Heavy rains have swamped the Davao de Oro province in recent weeks. With 27 people still missing, the military has been deployed to help with rescue efforts.

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Personnel arriving for search and rescue operations
285 families from Masara and four nearby villages have been evacuated to safer areasImage: Philippine Red Cross - Davao de Oro Chapter/AFP

Five people were killed and 27 miners are missing after a landslide struck a mining village in southern Philippines, authorities said on Wednesday.

Disaster officials also added that 31 people were injured, 11 severely, as the mudslide engulfed houses and two buses in Masara village.

The disaster struck the gold mining village in Davao de Oro province following heavy rains that have swamped the region in recent weeks.

"There was no sign that a landslide would occur because the rains stopped on Thursday and by Friday it was already sunny and hot," provincial disaster official Edward Macapili said.

What are rescue operations going in the mining village?

The military, which has been deployed to help in the rescue efforts, said three seriously injured people were airlifted for medical help.

On Wednesday, the military said in a post on Facebook that "impassable" roads and "no cellphone signal in the area" posed significant challenges to their work.

 Philippine soldiers transferring a landslide survivor
The military said three seriously injured people would airlifted for medical helpImage: Philippine Army's 60th Infantry "Mediator" Battalion/AFP

Meanwhile, 285 families from Masara and four nearby villages have been evacuated to safer areas, Macapili said.

At least 18 people died from landslides and flooding in the region last week, the national disaster agency said.

ss/kb (Reuters, AFP, AP)