Almost a week after a landslide hit a gold mining site in Maco, Davao de Oro, the death toll from the disaster stood at 55 as of 7 a.m. on Monday.

The government said 32 people were injured, while the tally of the missing was still being validated, along with the identities of the recovered bodies.

On Sunday, 63 individuals were declared missing, raising fears the death toll would continue to rise in the days ahead.

A provincial officer, Edward Macapili, said they have shifted to search, rescue and retrieval operations. About 300 rescue and retrieval workers were on hand, he said.

“The incident command post wants to continue with the rescue and retrieval to give justice to the claims of the relatives of the victims,” he said. “Because they were complaining to the ICP and asking... they really want to find their relatives.

Besides the ICP, Macipili said there is also a management team for the dead, which caters to the concerns of families with missing relatives.

“As [far] as the evacuees are concerned, in fact, there is an area created for the children that is continuously counseled by the PSWD (Provincial Social Welfare and Development), because the children have traumas as well as the adults,” he said.

The rain-induced landslide hit the mining village in Zone 1, Barangay Masara, Maco on 6 February at 7:40 p.m.

On Sunday, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council reported that infrastructure damage totaled P738 million so far.

Meanwhile, the United States has lent its military assets to deliver supplies to the landslide-affected communities.

AFP Public Affairs chief Col. Xerxes Trinidad said there were two US Marines KC-130J Hercules aircraft at Villamor Air Base in Pasay City as of Monday.

“The US Marines from the III Marine Expeditionary Force will assist with the ongoing disaster relief mission with the Marine Air Group 12, 1st Marine Aircraft Wing to deliver essential supplies for distribution,” Trinidad added.

The processing, weighing, and loading of relief supplies from the Department of Social Welfare and Development to the two aircraft were ongoing on Monday.

Trinidad said the air assets are planning to make four deliveries daily — two for each of the aircraft — to provide steady relief supplies to the affected areas.

“The joint effort highlights the shared commitment of the two countries to humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, as also emphasized in the recently concluded US-PH Maritime Cooperative Activity,” he noted.

“The AFP and the US Armed Forces are continuously working hand-in-hand to provide efficient support to the troops during the entirety of the operations,” Trinidad added.

With Prexx Trozo and Jing Villamente