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WORLD NEWS Friday 21 September 2018

New landslide kills 21, buries houses in Philippines

By BULLIT MARQUEZ landslides in the gold-min- "I had no idea we would be
JOEAL CALUPITAN ing town of Itogon in the the next," she said.
Associated Press north. Elsewhere in the landslide-
NAGA, Philippines (AP) — Cebu province was not di- hit community, a father and
A massive landslide buried rectly hit by Mangkhut but his young daughter were
dozens of homes near a the massive typhoon inten- found dead in each other's
central Philippine mountain sified monsoon rains across embrace in a house, vol-
Thursday, killing at least 21 a large part of the archipel- unteer rescuer Vic Santillan
people and sending res- ago, including the central said. It's not clear what set
cuers scrambling to find region where Naga city lies off the landslide, but some
survivors after some sent about 570 kilometers (355 residents blamed limestone
text messages pleading for miles) southeast of Manila. quarries, which they sus- Rescuers dig through the rubble to search for possible survivors
help. Rescuers were treading pect may have caused following a landslide that buried dozens of homes in Naga city,
The slide surged down on carefully in small groups cracks in the mountainside Cebu province central Philippines on Thursday Sept. 20, 2018.
about 30 houses in two ru- on the unstable ground to facing their villages. q Associated Press
ral villages after daybreak avoid further casualties.
in Naga city in Cebu prov- "We're running out of time.
ince, city police chief Rod- The ground in the area is still
erick Gonzales said by tele- vibrating. We're striking a
phone as he helped super- balance between intensi-
vise the search and rescue. fying our rescue efforts and
Seven injured villagers were ensuring the safety of our
rescued from the huge rescuers," Naga city Coun-
mound of earth and debris. cilor Carmelino Cruz said
Some victims managed to by phone.
send messages after the Cristita Villarba, a 53-year-
landslide hit, Gonzales said, old resident, said her hus-
adding that elderly women band and son were prepar-
and a child were among ing to leave for work when
the dead. the ground shook and they
Nimrod Parba, a 26-year- were overwhelmed by a
old resident, said a relative roar.
trapped in a house be- "It was like an earthquake
neath the rubble managed and there was this thunder-
to call Thursday morning ing, loud banging sound.
and begged to be res- All of us ran out," Villarba
cued. The calls stopped, said, adding that she, her
however, and the rela- husband and three chil-
tive could not be reached dren were shocked but un-
hours later, Parba said. hurt.
Naga city Mayor Kristine Outside, she saw the house
Vanessa Chiong said at of her older brother, Lauro,
least 64 people remained and his family buried in the
missing. landslide.
"We're really hoping we "Many of our neighbors
can still recover them were crying and scream-
alive," she said. ing for help. Some wanted
The landslide hit while sev- to help those who got hit
eral northern Philippine but there was too much
provinces are still dealing earth covering the houses,
with deaths and wide- including my brother's," she
spread damage wrought said.
by Typhoon Mangkhut, Nearly 20 people lived in
which pummeled the ag- her brother's home, mostly
ricultural region Saturday his family and grandchil-
and left at least 88 people dren, she said.
dead and more than 60 Villarba said she had felt
missing. A massive search is sorry a few days earlier for
still underway for dozens of the landslide victims in the
people feared dead after country's north.