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Landslide buries 30 houses in Cebu province; 4 confirmed dead


Naga City in Cebu province was hit by landslides early Thursday morning and at least 10 houses were buried. PHOTO FROM CEBU PROVINCIAL GOVERNMENT INFORMATION OFFICE

Naga City in Cebu province was hit by landslides early Thursday morning and at least 30 houses were buried. PHOTO FROM CEBU PROVINCIAL GOVERNMENT INFORMATION OFFICE

A landslide struck early Thursday morning in Barangay Naalad and Sitio Sindulan in Barangay Tinaan, Naga City in Cebu province, burying some 30 houses in the area, and killing at least four people, local authorities said.

Marian Z. Codilla of the  Mines and Geosciences Bureau Region 7 told GMA News Online that the landslide occurred around 6 a.m. on Thursday. She said that two geologists from the MGB regional office are on their way to the site.

GMA News TV's News To Go reported that Cebu Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO) Officer Baltazar Tribunalo confirmed that the death toll from the landslide rose to four before noon.

Also, Chief Inspector Roderick Gonzales of the Naga police said four to five people were rescued from the landslide.

Earlier, Gabriel Bonjoc of Super Radyo Cebu said on Dobol B sa News TV that 10 out of 15 houses affected in Naalad and Tinaan were buried in the landslide.

However,  Gonzales said in a later that 20 to 25 houses were affected in Tinaan and 10 houses in Naalad.

Naga City is a known mining site for non-metallic minerals, including limestone.

As of this posting, rescuers were still unable to determine the number of people were inside the houses at the time of the incident, possibly caused by the heavy overnight rains.

Several people have been rescued and were immediately brought to the hospital.

The land on which the homes were built is owned by a cement firm.

Codilla clarified that the agency conducted an inspection earlier in a nearby area.

The MGB-7 earlier conducted an inspection of Sitio Tagaytay, Barangay Tinaan in Naga City, Cebu and found that the fissures at the site were not caused by mining activities.

The cracks leading to the landslide were triggered by natural phenomenon, Codilla said.

She said that MGB-7 already recommended close monitoring of the area and the evacuation of residents.

Additional information would be available after the MGB geologists have reached the area for inspection. — with a report by Rie Takumi/LBG/RSJ, GMA News

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