Search continues for tourist missing after Sagada cave collapses

(Updated 4:29 p.m.) Search operations are ongoing for one tourist who remains missing after part of a cave in Sagada in Mountain Province collapsed Sunday at the height of Storm Maring, trapping 31 people, consisting of visiting Japanese students, local tourists and their guides.

The missing tourist was identified as 40-year-old Irene Manaois of Dagupan, Pangasinan by the Cordillera office of the Philippine Information Agency (PIA-CAR) and Office of Civil Defense Cordillera head Alex Uy.

According to PIA-CAR, the number of people who were trapped by the cave-in was 31, consisting of 13 Japanese students, seven local tourists, two students of Mt. Province State Polytechnic College and eight tourist guides. All have been rescued and accounted for except for Manaois.
 
A separate report on Bombo Radyo quoted Uy as saying the tourists were trapped due to strong current in the cave. They were in the cave during a storm that dumped a large volume of rain over the Cordillera. There were reports that a flashflood caused the accident.

Sumaguing Cave is the biggest cave in Sagada and has been a favorite spelunking destination for tourists, foreign and local alike.

Heavy rain had been falling on parts of Luzon, including Metro Manila, since Sunday. — ELR/KG/BM, GMA News