MACO Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (MDRRMO) on Thursday reported that three more bodies were recovered from the landslide area in Maco, Davao de Oro.
The number of casualties has increased to 10 with dozens more still missing.
As of 2:30 pm, the Davao de Oro government said 49 people are still missing.
“We have recorded that ten bodies have been recovered from the landslide and thirty-one (31) injured persons have been rescued,” the provincial government said.
“Currently, there are forty-nine (49) reported missing individuals,” it added.
However, based on a report from the police, there are 90 people missing, according to Edward Macapili, the executive assistant on information and communications of the province.
“Their records provide na nasa 90 yung missing. That’s why we are trying to collaborate our two data para naman magkaroon ng validity yung dalawang entity or institution na we can come up with a uniform information,” Macapili told reporters.
Due to the chances that the missing persons are already dead, Macapili said their operations are now shifted from “search and rescue” to “search and retrieval.”
Reports said, on Tuesday night, a landslide struck a garage of a bus company, a barangay hall, and residential areas at Zone 1 Barangay Masara in Maco town.
The affected area was near a mining site where employees were working on three shifts for its 24-hour operation. Some workers were reportedly about to go home when the landslide occurred.
Aside from around 30 passengers of the two buses, more residents were feared buried in the landslide, according to local disaster officials.
The landslide reportedly covered a large area, making it difficult for rescuers to search for victims.
On Wednesday, President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. announced that his office has released P265 million to assist those affected by the floods and landslides that hit Davao region.
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