Philippines landslide death toll climbs to 55, dozens missing
Bangkok, Feb 12 (EFE).- The death toll in a landslide that buried dozens of houses and two buses in southern Philippines climbed to 55 as emergency services continued working to locate dozens of missing people, official sources said Monday.
Search and rescue teams have recovered 55 bodies from the rubble left by a strong landslide on Feb. 6, according to the latest bulletin from the municipality of Maco, located on the southern island of Mindanao.
The tragedy has also left 32 injured, including a three-year-old girl and a two-month-old baby, who were rescued after being trapped for more than 60 hours.
The number of missing people remains at 63, according to the authorities, who acknowledged that it is difficult to determine the exact number.
Heavy rainfall triggered the landslide in Maco in the Davao de Oro province,
An unknown number of homes and buildings as well as two buses carrying workers of the Apex Mining company were buried due to disaster.
Since the end of January, the southern Philippines has been hit by strong storms that have caused avalanches and flooding in several parts of Mindanao.
The weather condictions are expected to persist throughout the region on Monday, according to the country’s meteorological agency.
At least 18 people have died and another 11 have been injured in other incidents across the island due to the storms. EFE
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