Bangkok, Feb 8 (EFE).- Rescuers were on Thursday searching for dozens of people who went missing after a landslide killed at least six people and injured 31, sweeping away homes and two buses carrying workers from a mining company in the southern Philippines.
The landslide occurred on Tuesday night outside a gold mining site in the town of Maco in the province of Davao de Oro on the southern island of Mindanao, according to a Civil Defense statement.
Rescuers have recovered six bodies from under the pile of mud and rocks, said the Civil Defense.
Authorities said they continued efforts to locate and rescue another 46 missing people and were “continuously monitoring the incident.”
According to Apex Mining, the accident occurred near a mining operation where buses wait to transport employees.
The landslide hit about 300 families, and the authorities have evacuated some 2,000 people who are putting up in temporary shelters in Maco City.
The authorities issued an alert for fresh rains and possible landslides in eastern Mindanao on Thursday while the Maco Mayor’s Office has ordered the suspension of classes in all public or private schools.
The Civil Defense reported that heavy rains resulting from various climate disturbances have led to widespread flooding, landslides, and infrastructure damage in the region.
Assessing the impacts of the shear line, northeast monsoon, and low-pressure area trough is still ongoing, it said.
Since Jan. 28, the southern Philippines has been battered by a powerful rainstorm, resulting in landslides and flooding in multiple areas of Mindanao.
As per the latest report from the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, at least 18 people have lost their lives, and another 11 have sustained injuries in various incidents across the island. EFE
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