MASARA LANDSLIDE DEATH TOLL NOW 15

DDO proposed to transition from a search and rescue operation to search and retrieval operation but Gov. Gonzaga suggested extending search and rescue by another 48 hours

THE toll from the devastating landslide incident that occurred on Tuesday evening, February 6, 2024, in Zone One, Barangay Masara, Maco, Davao de Oro, has now reached 15 casualties, with 31 individuals injured and 110 still missing.

In an official Facebook post by the Provincial Government of Davao de Oro, as of noon on February 9, 2024, the initial report from the Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (MDRRMO) confirmed 15 fatalities and 31 injuries.

Approximately 110 individuals are reported missing, pending validation by the Management of the Dead and the Missing Cluster through the National Bureau of Investigation-Disaster Victim Identification (NBI-DVI) and the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG).

In a phone interview with SunStar Davao, Edward Macapili, executive assistant to Governor Dorothy Gonzaga, said that a meeting with municipal mayors was held, where it was proposed to transition from a search and rescue operation to a search and retrieval operation after 48 hours.

However, no objections were raised, and the governor suggested extending the search and rescue operation by another 48 hours.

“No among the mayors objected and the governor suggested na ibalik muna ang another 48 hours search and rescue operations. Ito ang nangyari ngayon, early this morning may mga bata pang na recover na buhi pa (No mayor objected, and the governor suggested bringing back another 48 hours of search and rescue operations first. This is what happened today; early this morning, some children were recovered and are still alive),” he said on Friday afternoon, February 9, 2024. (Read full story on sunstar.com.ph/davao)