Child saved after being trapped for over 2 days in Philippines landslide
A child rescued almost 60 hours after a landslide in a Philippines gold-mining village was deemed a “miracle” after over 100 people were reported missing, with at least 11 fatalities
The recent rescue of a child, nearly 60 hours after a landslide struck a gold-mining village in the southern Philippines, has been described as a “miracle” following the initial belief that no one would be found alive. The girl, whose age remains undisclosed, was one of over 100 people reported missing after the rain-triggered landslide hit the village, resulting in at least 11 fatalities.
Rescuers located the girl as they used manual tools to search for survivors in Masara village on southern Mindanao island, as reported by disaster agency official Edward Macapili of Davao de Oro province to Agence France-Presse (AFP).
Macapili expressed amazement at the discovery, stating that it instilled hope in the rescuers, as they had presumed the missing individuals were likely deceased. He emphasized the resilience displayed by the child, despite typically having less endurance than adults.
A video capturing a rescuer carrying the tearful, mud-covered child circulated on Facebook. Macapili noted that social media posts indicated the child had no visible injuries. The girl’s father was able to see her before she was taken to a medical facility for evaluation.
The landslide occurred on Tuesday night, causing destruction to homes and engulfing three buses and a jeepney that were waiting to transport workers from a gold mine. Official figures indicate that at least 11 people perished, 31 sustained injuries, and over a hundred individuals are still unaccounted for.
Rescuers faced a time-sensitive challenge and adverse weather conditions in their efforts to locate any remaining survivors within the dense mud, as rain continued to fall over the area on Friday. While heavy earth-moving equipment was utilized in certain areas, manual tools and shovels were relied upon in regions where bodies were suspected to be located. Additionally, sniffer dogs were deployed to detect individuals buried in the mud and debris.
Across much of the archipelago nation, landslides pose a recurring threat due to the mountainous terrain, heavy rainfall and extensive deforestation resulting from mining, slash-and-burn farming and illegal logging.
Recent weeks have seen persistent rainfall in parts of Mindanao, leading to numerous landslides and floods that have compelled tens of thousands of individuals to seek refuge in emergency shelters. Furthermore, the region has been destabilized by significant earthquakes in recent months.
In response to the landslide, hundreds of families from Masara and four nearby villages have evacuated their homes, seeking shelter in emergency centers to avoid potential further landslides. Schools throughout the municipality have suspended classes.
Macapili stated that the area affected by the landslide had been designated a “no build zone” subsequent to previous landslide occurrences in 2007 and 2008.
Source: AFP
