MANILA: A landslide near a gold mine in the Philippines has killed at least 54 persons, local officials reported on Sunday. The tragedy, which occurred in the southern mountain village of Masara, has left 63 miners and residents still unaccounted for.
According to statements from the municipality of Maco and provincial disaster official Randy Loy, 19 bodies were recovered from the rubble on Sunday, marking a significant increase from the previous death toll of 35. The landslide, which occurred on Tuesday night, buried a bus terminal for employees of a gold mining firm and 55 nearby houses, resulting in 32 additional injuries.
Philippines Landslide Incident
The landslide, spanning over 700 meters down a steep mountainside near the Apex Mining Co concession, engulfed an 8.9-hectare section of the Masara community. Despite the immense destruction, rescuers managed to pull a three-year-old girl alive from beneath the rubble on Friday, in what was described as a miraculous rescue.
Authorities have pledged to continue search and rescue efforts until all persons listed as missing are accounted for. Landslides are a recurring hazard across the Philippines due to factors such as mountainous terrain, heavy rainfall, and widespread deforestation from mining, slash-and-burn farming, and illegal logging.
The recent rainfall, coupled with seismic activity in the region, has exacerbated the situation, triggering numerous landslides and floods and displacing tens of thousands of people into emergency shelters.
