Rescuers carry the dead body of a landslide victim in Barangay Masara, Maco, Davao de Oro on Monday (12 February 2024). MindaNews photo by MANMAN DEJETO
DAVAO CITY (MindaNews/23 February) – The local government of Maco, Davao de Oro has ended the search and retrieval operations for the victims of the landslide that hit Barangay Masara, Maco last Feb. 6.
Maco Mayor Arthur Carlos Voltaire Rimando issued Thursday Executive Order No. 17 series of 2024 halting on Thursday night the operations at ground zero.
Rimando’s order was based on the recommendation of the Incident Management Team led by the Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office, Apex Mining Company Incorporated, Bureau of Fire Protection, and Philippine National Police-Davao de Oro, which reported the “completion of retrieval and debris clearing at ground zero, covering the whole landslide area until its ground level”.
Based on MDRRMO’s data, responders tallied 93 bodies retrieved and nine missing cadavers as of Feb. 22, 7:00 P.M.
Several groups of responders have ended their efforts to help retrieve the victims as early as Feb. 18.
Last Feb. 14, MDRRMO transitioned the search, rescue and retrieval operations to search and retrieval operations through a local executive order as well.
Rimando earlier told the media that rescuers dealt with unstable ground at the site of the tragedy, which would force them to temporarily halt their operations.
Ferdinand Dobli, Apex Mining community relations manager and incident commander even said they had to relocate their station command 50 meters away from their current post, the residence of Masara barangay chair Douglas Dumalagan Jr., which faces ground zero. (Ian Carl Espinosa/MindaNews)
