Cagayan de Oro City — A couple and their two children were killed Thursday night when a landslide buried their home in Barangay Agusan as tropical storm “Basyang” moved across Mindanao.
The City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Department reported the incident occurred around 7 p.m. in Zone 1, Sitio Sambulawan. An urban search and rescue team recovered the bodies from the debris later that evening. The tragedy occurred just hours before the storm made its second landfall in Bayabas, Surigao del Sur, shortly before midnight.
Disaster officials had previously issued warnings for heavy to intense rainfall, cautioning residents in low-lying and landslide-prone areas to evacuate immediately.
Rescue operations led by Oro Rescue remained active through early Friday morning, particularly in Barangay Bugo, to assist residents trapped by rising waters.
Mayor Rolando “Klarex” Uy ordered the suspension of work in all government offices and classes in both public and private schools starting Thursday afternoon. While essential government services remained operational, the mayor left the suspension of tertiary-level classes to the discretion of school heads and advised private sector employers to prioritize the safety of their staff.
Infrastructural safety measures were also implemented as the Department of Public Works and Highways temporarily closed the Tubod Bridge late Thursday. The river reached a critical stage, prompting officials to divert motorists to the C3 Diversion Road while engineers assessed the bridge’s structural integrity.
Meantime, the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines reported Friday that while most airports nationwide remain operational with full utility services, the storm has caused significant travel disruptions.
A total of 7,737 passengers were affected as Cebu Pacific, Cebgo and PAL Express canceled dozens of flights connecting Manila and Cebu to regional hubs like Cagayan de Oro, Ozamiz, Pagadian and Dipolog.