Bodies of mom, son recovered
Flash floods and mudflows caused by heavy rains affected thousands of residents in the provinces of Lanao del Sur, Maguindanao del Sur and Maguindanao del Norte on Tuesday night last week
Daily TribuneFlash floods and mudflows caused by heavy rains affected thousands of residents in the provinces of Lanao del Sur, Maguindanao del Sur and Maguindanao del Norte on Tuesday night last week
ZAMBOANGA CITY — Authorities recovered the bodies of a mother and child, three days after a landslide hit Sitio Anuling in Barangay Pamucutan in this city during a heavy downpour spawned by the southwest monsoon.
Zamboanga City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office Chief Dr. Elmeir Apolinario said yesterday that the bodies of Myca Irabon Ortega, 29, and her six-year-old son, JM, were unearthed from the rubble during continuous search and retrieval operations.
Barangay officials and volunteers recovered the dead bodies of Myca and her six-year-old son, JM, three days after a landslide hit Sitio Anuling in Barangay Pamucutan in this city late on Monday.
With the recovery of the dead bodies of Myca and JM, all four missing persons due to the twin landslides in Barangay Pamucutan have been accounted for.
Apolinario also said the death toll due to the heavy downpour Friday rose to five as of yesterday after authorities also reported a drowning victim in Barangay Calarian at the height of the two days’ heavy downpour of rains.
The search and retrieval operations were conducted by personnel from the police, Bureau of Fire Protection, CDRRMO and barangay officials and volunteers.
Apolinario said the city government through the City Social Welfare and Development will facilitate the burial expenses of the landslide victims.
On Sunday, 14, authorities found the bodies of Leonilo Moret, 47, and his son Justine, 10, in the rivers of San Ramon and Anuling, respectively.
Their house in Sitio Papaya in Barangay Pamucutan was swept away by the mudslide into the river Friday night during the heavy downpour of rains.
Zamboanga City Mayor John Dalipe personally relayed his sympathies and extended the city’s financial and relief assistance to the families of the deceased in Barangay Pamucutan and Barangay Calarian on Monday.
The twin landslides in Barangay Pamucutan were due to heavy rains that caused widespread flooding that displaced more or less 4,000 families or about 20,000 individuals, destroyed houses and government structures, canceled flights and boat trips, and toppled light and cable posts including heritage trees.
Code white alert
Meanwhile, the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, Ministry of Health has raised a “code white alert,” directing all their medical personnel to prepare hospital facilities for a potential influx of patients due to persistent heavy rainfall causing flooding and landslides in many areas of the region.
MoH Minister Dr. Kadil Sinolinding urged all services, including ambulances, personnel and emergency teams, to be on standby and ready to mobilize and respond anytime.
Flash floods and mudflows caused by heavy rains affected thousands of residents in the provinces of Lanao del Sur, Maguindanao del Sur, and Maguindanao del Norte on Tuesday night last week.
The Bangsamoro government and local government units have already responded quickly, while the national government has also extended assistance to the flood victims.