27 Dead, 89 Missing in Landslide in Southern Philippines...

Massive 5.8 Magnitude Earthquake Hits Masara Village in Davao de Oro Province, Rescue Operations Temporarily Halted

It has been confirmed that 27 people have died due to a landslide in the southern mining area of the Philippines.

On the 10th, foreign media including AFP cited the disaster authorities of Davao de Oro province on Mindanao Island in southern Philippines, reporting that 27 people died and 32 were injured in the accident. With 89 people still missing, the death toll is expected to rise.

Rescue workers are recovering bodies in Masara village, Davao de Oro, Philippines, on the 8th.
[Photo by AP Yonhap News]

The landslide occurred on the night of the 6th in Masara village, a mountainous area of Davao de Oro province. At that time, three 60-seat buses used for transporting miners, one 36-seat jeepney, and nearby houses were buried under the soil and debris. Authorities have deployed drones and search dogs to conduct search operations at the site after the accident. In recent weeks, frequent earthquakes have weakened the ground on Mindanao Island, followed by heavy rains. Consequently, landslides have occurred repeatedly, and at least 18 people were reported dead last week. Currently, residents of Masara and four neighboring villages, totaling hundreds of households, have evacuated their homes and are staying in shelters, and school classes have been suspended. Foreign media pointed out that, in addition to the earthquakes, indiscriminate logging in the landslide-affected area was one of the causes that worsened the damage.

The scene of a landslide that occurred on the 6th in Mako, Davao de Oro Province, Philippines. [Photo by EPA Yonhap News]

At 11 a.m. on the same day, a magnitude 5.8 earthquake occurred on Mindanao Island, temporarily halting rescue operations. The epicenter of the earthquake was 150 km away from the accident site. Although no damage from the earthquake has been reported, authorities, fearing additional risks, withdrew rescue workers who were searching at the site and deployed drones over the accident area to monitor signs of further landslides.

Meanwhile, on the 9th, rescue workers dramatically saved a 3-year-old girl survivor 60 hours after the landslide by digging through the soil with their bare hands and shovels in the village. The child was transported to a hospital and is reported to be in good health. Edward Macapili, an official from the Davao de Oro disaster authorities, called the rescue news a "miracle," saying, "Children usually have a lower survival rate than adults, but she survived, which gives hope to the rescue teams."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.