Philippines: 5 killed, 27 missing after landslide in gold mining village

Five people were killed and 27 miners are missing after a landslide struck a mining village in southern Philippines, authorities said on Wednesday.

Disaster officials also added that 31 people were injured, 11 severely, as the mudslide engulfed houses and two buses in Masara village.

The disaster struck the gold mining village in Davao de Oro province following heavy rains that have swamped the region in recent weeks.

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#BREAKING Landslide in Philippines buries 20 people inside two buses, at least 5 killed. 28 people were on board 2 buses near a gold mine in Mindanao island's Davao de Oro province when the landslide hit Tuesday night, but 8 managed to escape. pic.twitter.com/l3xKjReUMr

— Piyush Gupta (@PiyushNeekhra) February 7, 2024 >

"There was no sign that a landslide would occur because the rains stopped on Thursday and by Friday it was already sunny and hot," provincial disaster official Edward Macapili said.

Military joins rescue operations

The military, which has been deployed to help in the rescue efforts, said three seriously injured people were airlifted for medical help.

On Wednesday, the military said in a post on Facebook that "impassable" roads and "no cellphone signal in the area" posed significant challenges to their work.

Meanwhile, 285 families from Masara and four nearby villages have been evacuated to safer areas, Macapili said.

At least 18 people died from landslides and flooding in the region last week, the national disaster agency said.

(Photo: Philippine Red Cross)