9-2-2024 (MANILA) A glimmer of hope emerged from the devastation as rescuers unearthed a child nearly 60 hours after a landslide ravaged a gold-mining village in the southern Philippines on Friday (Feb 9). The remarkable rescue, hailed as a “miracle,” came after search efforts had waned, with authorities fearing no survivors would be found.
The rescued girl, whose age remains undisclosed, was among the more than 100 individuals reported missing following the landslide’s wrath, which struck the village and claimed the lives of at least 11 people.
JUST IN | A girl that had been trapped by a landslide at Barangay Masara, Maco, Davao de Oro was rescued Friday morning (Feb. 9, 2024), three days after the incident. The young survivor was given medical aid. | via Che Palicte/???? Illu mi pic.twitter.com/TMpnKhq3aH
— Philippine News Agency (@pnagovph) February 9, 2024
In a display of resilience and determination, rescuers employed their bare hands and shovels to sift through the debris in Masara village, located on the southern Mindanao island, revealed Edward Macapili, an official from the disaster agency in Davao de Oro province.
“It’s a miracle,” exclaimed Macapili, noting that rescuers had resigned themselves to the grim possibility that the missing had succumbed to the disaster. “That gives hope to the rescuers. A child’s resilience is usually less than that of adults, yet the child survived.”
A poignant video capturing the moment a rescuer cradled the tearful child, covered in mud, circulated widely on social media platforms, offering a glimmer of relief amidst the tragedy, Macapili confirmed.
“We can see in the social media posts that the child did not have any visible injuries,” he added, noting that the girl’s father was able to reunite with his child before she was whisked away for a medical assessment.
The landslide, which struck under the cover of Tuesday night, obliterated homes and swallowed three buses and a jeepney awaiting mine workers. Official figures indicate that at least 11 individuals lost their lives, with 31 sustaining injuries, while over a hundred remain unaccounted for.
As rain continued to pelt the region on Friday, search teams faced a race against time and the elements to locate any remaining survivors trapped beneath the thick mud. Despite deploying heavy earth-moving machinery in certain areas, rescuers predominantly relied on manual efforts using shovels and their hands, particularly in spots where bodies were suspected to be buried.
The deployment of sniffer dogs further bolstered search operations, aiding in the detection of individuals buried amidst the rubble and mud.
Landslides, a recurring peril across the archipelago nation, stem from the rugged terrain, copious rainfall, and extensive deforestation linked to mining, slash-and-burn agriculture, and illicit logging activities.
Mindanao, in particular, has endured relentless bouts of rain in recent weeks, triggering numerous landslides and floods that have forced tens of thousands into emergency shelters. The region has also grappled with seismic upheavals in recent months, compounding the challenges faced by local communities.
In the wake of the disaster, hundreds of families from Masara and surrounding villages have been displaced, seeking refuge in emergency shelters amid fears of further landslides. Schools across the municipality have suspended classes, underscoring the widespread disruption wrought by the calamity.
Macapili highlighted that the area hit by the landslide had been designated a “no build zone” following previous incidents in 2007 and 2008. Despite warnings and resettlement initiatives, some residents persisted in returning to the high-risk area, he lamented, illustrating the complex dynamics that exacerbate the vulnerability of communities to natural disasters.
