Recovered bodies from Natonin landslide now 17

The number of bodies recovered from the landslide-hit area in Natonin, Mountain Province, rose to 17 on Sunday.

Rescuers recovered one more body from ground zero of the landslide on Sunday, according to a tweet posted by GMA News' James Agustin, increasing the death toll from the 16 reported on Saturday.

JUST IN: Isa pang bangkay, narekober ngayong tanghali sa ground zero sa Natonin, Mountain Province. Umabot na sa 17 bangkay ang narekober. @gmanews @dzbb pic.twitter.com/WwEU9oYI8S

— James Agustin (@_jamesJA) November 4, 2018

Lieutenant Colonel Narciso Nabulneg, commanding officer of the 54th Infantry Battalion of the Philippine Army, said the search and retrieval operations are expanding in terms of number of personnel and heavy equipment, according to Agustin's report on GMA News TV's Balitanghali on Sunday.

Additional heavy equipment will arrive  on Monday, Nabulneg said.

He added that the search and retrieval operations will be extended until Friday, a decision that different agencies agreed upon during a meeting.

Search and retrieval operation ng mga rescuer sa Natonin, Mountain Province, inextend hanggang sa Biyernes. Heavy equipment, naibaba na sa ground zero. @gmanews @dzbb pic.twitter.com/ru493BHQqG

— James Agustin (@_jamesJA) November 4, 2018

On October 27, authorities advised pre-emptive and forced evacuation in several landslide-prone areas, including some barangays in Natonin, due to Typhoon Rosita.

Eleven barangays were assessed by the Mines and Geosciences Bureau as landslide-prone areas in 2012.

Meanwhile, 786 people are still searching for 14 persons still missing due to the Natonin landslide, Nabulneg said.

The 786 searchers are from different government agencies, while some of them are civilians, he added.

“Karamihan mga civilian volunteers coming from different places,” Nabulneg said in an interview in Super Radyo dzBB.

According to him, the personnel involved in the search and retrieval operations in Natonin come from the Philippine National Police, Armed Forces of the Philippines, Department of Social Welfare and Development, Bureau of Fire Protection, Department of Health and Department of Public Works and Highways.

Members of Philippine Red Cross are also taking part in the operations.

Also, residents of Itogon town in Benguet—who were hit by a landslide last September—are helping in the rescue and retrieval operations in Natonin. —Joviland Rita/KG, GMA News