17 unidentified bodies recovered in Davao de Oro landslide to be temporarily buried

Seventeen unidentified bodies recovered following the landslide in Barangay Masara, Maco, Davao de Oro will be temporarily buried on Wednesday.

Rgil Relator of GMA Regional TV One Mindanao reported in Balitanghali that the Maco local government appealed to the kin of those missing to visit the two funeral homes where the recovered bodies were brought following the landslide.

Search and retrieval operations in Ground Zero continue but authorities earlier said that identifying the victims remains a challenge.

The 17 bodies, which currently remain unidentified or unrecognized, will undergo temporary burial process as part of the health protocols based on the recommendation of the municipal health officer .

The bodies will not be embalmed and will be placed in cadaver bags, as a sign of respect to the beliefs of their kin.

The Maco LGU said there will be markings where the bodies will be buried for easier identification.

The municipal government of Davao de Oro on Tuesday said that there are now 67 bodies and four "body parts" that have been recovered in the Maco landslide.—Jamil Santos/AOL, GMA Integrated News