Davao de Oro landslide buries 3 buses

Three buses carrying employees of a mining company were caught in a landslide in Maco, Davao de Oro on Tuesday night.

Edward Macapili, the executive assistant on information and communications of Davao de Oro, confirmed the information to GMA Regional TV One Mindanao.

The workers were reportedly heading home when the landslide occurred in Zone 1, Masara.

As of 10 p.m., eight persons have been rescued.

According to a report on "State of the Nation," the landslide also hit some houses in the area.

The Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office/ Emergency Operations Center of Davao de Oro has already deployed its mountain search and rescue (MOSAR) team to augment the Maco MDRRMO and other teams.

The provincial government of Davao de Oro has implemented forced evacuation in the following barangays in Maco: 

• Masara
• Mainit
• Tagbaros
• Elizalde
• Panibasan

Residents in the said communities have to evacuate to safer grounds.

The evacuation centers include Upper Elizalde, Andili High School, Panibasan Church in Maco, Nuevo Iloco High School, and Elizalde ICQP.

A temporary incident command post has been set up in Barangay Elizadle.

"We'll update the public as soon as reports from the ground will be submitted to the PDRRMO," the provincial government said on Facebook.

"Let's continue to pray for the affected people and to respond to our responders in the province," it added. 

Before the landslide on Tuesday night, the PDRRMO in the Davao Region reported that the number of fatalities due to floods and landslides had increased to 21.

Davao de Oro PDRRMO said 13 people were dead while nine people were injured in the province.  Of the 13 fatalities, four were reported each in New Bataan and Marasugan, two each in Pantukan and Monkayo, and one in Maco.

Two people were also missing in Davao de Oro, it said.

In Davao del Norte, eight fatalities were reported, according to the PDRRMO. Six of the fatalities in Davao del Norte were in Kapalong, one in Santo Tomas, and one in Asuncion.

One person was also missing in the province.

This developed as the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) reported that the number of individuals affected by the effects of the Northeast Monsoon or Amihan and the trough of a low-pressure area has breached one million.

Among the affected regions were Northern Mindanao, Davao, Soccsksargen, Caraga, and Bangsamoro.

Of the affected population, 97,603 people, or 25,477 families were staying in 380 evacuation centers while 697,454 people, or 175,370 families were taking shelter in other places.

Damage to infrastructure, meanwhile, was at P54,967,000. A total of 785 houses were also damaged — 431 partially and 354 totally. 

Classes were suspended in 115 areas as well as work in 35 areas. —NB, GMA Integrated News