DAVAO CITY (MindaNews / February 21) — A family of four in Mati City, Davao Oriental died on Friday after being buried together in a landslide following continued outpours since Wednesday.
The City Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office (CDRRMO) identified the victims as Abibollah Anting, 41 (father); Jessa Anting, 40 (mother); and their two daughters Nhor Habiba, 15, and Thahani, 5; all residents of Upper Salazar, Brgy. Central of the city.
Dexter Discotido, planning officer of the operations and warning section of the CDRRMO, told MindaNews on Saturday that the landslide occurred between 5 and 7 a.m. after the family returned to sleep following their dawn prayer. The CDRRMO received a report at 7:52 a.m. and immediately responded with other rescue units. Retrieval operations were completed by 11 a.m. Rescuers attempted to revive the victims, to no avail.
The landslide, which also resulted in road obstruction, occurred after a fissured rock conceded, causing the soil to collapse, Discotido said.
The fissured rock was left unreported by the residents to the barangay since they did not see it as a threat, but the cracks appeared after the doublet earthquake on October 10 last year, he added.
Davao Oriental Provincial DRRMO conducted a site assessment on Friday and found out that the type of soil within 10 meters of the landslide is “chalky limestone,” a type of soil material prone to collapse especially when moisture or water creeps in its cracks, Discotido added.
“Once mapolpog, paspas muabsorb og tubig. Wala na siguro na hold sa bato, mao to nahagsa na section (Once it crumbles, it absorbs water quickly. The rock might not have held it for long, the reason that part collapsed),” he pointed out.
The area was not originally tagged as a landslide-prone, however, Discotido said that they already advised seven families living near the area, which were evacuated to Upper Bliss at their headquarters.
Drivers are advised to use the adjacent road in Upper Salazar, where traffic is limited to a single lane.
The PAGASA weather bureau has hoisted several weather advisories for heavy rainfall outlook affecting Davao Oriental, Davao de Oro, Davao del Norte, Surigao del Norte, Surigao del Sur, Agusan del Sur, Agusan del Norte, and Dinagat Islands because of a shear line. (Razl EJ Teman / MindaNews)
