Baybay execs say 25 dead, 150 missing due to landslides

At least 25 people have been reported dead, 150 are still missing while 105 were confirmed injured in Baybay, Leyte due to landslides that hit the city on Monday, local officials have said.

According to Oscar Oida’s report in 24 Oras, two separate landslides occurred in Baybay because of the heavy rains brought by tropical cyclone Agaton. 

The National Disaster Risk-Reduction Management Council said rescue operations continued in the affected region as authorities try to search for more survivors in the houses hit by the landslide.

“May mga bahay na natabunan and ito po ay hinuhukay din ng mga kasama natin. Inaalis yung mga debris para kung meron man na-trap sa loob eh mare-retrieve po at maliligtas,” NDRRMC Spokesperson Mark Timbal said.

(There are still houses deep in mud and our members are trying to dig in them. They’re removing debris so they can retrieve it in case a survivor has been trapped inside.)

“Sa tindi ng landslide, medyo malaki yung na-affect na area kaya pati yung mga areas  na outside ng danger zone of landslide, naabot ng landslide,” he added.

(Because of the extent of the landslide, it affected a fairly large area that’s why even those outside the danger zones were damaged.)

Data gathered by GMA News Research from the Mines and Geoscience Bureau showed 63 percent of the barangays in the city had high to very high landslide susceptibility.

This prompted the city disaster management council to issue warnings.

“The City Disaster Reduction and Management Council has been telling them na kailangan nang lumikas kasi mayroon nga pong bagyo. Hindi lang po talaga expected na ganito. Hindi naman malakas ‘yung ulan pero non-stop po talaga siya. Dalawang araw po ‘yun, kaya po siguro lumambot na po ‘yung lupa at ‘yun na po ang naging sanhi ng landslide,” Marissa Cano, Baybay City information officer, said.

(The City Disaster Reduction and Management Council have been telling them that they should evacuate because of the typhoon. We did not expect it to be this way. We did not experience heavy rains but it was non-stop for two days. Maybe that’s the reason why the land softened and caused the landslide.)

Authorities are now conducting clearing operations on roads deemed not passable due to rocks and eroded soil.

GMA Foundation, meanwhile, is set to visit the province and extend help to the typhoon victims. —Sundy Locus/NB, GMA News