At least 40 are believed to still be trapped in a landslide in Ucab, a remote gold-mining village in Itogon, Benguet.
In an interview with the Associate Press, Itogon Mayor Victorio Palangdan expressed his grief, sharing that many of the villagers are poor and had no other option but to live in land which has been exploited by a good number of large corporations for mining. Gold mining not only contaminates the soil, but also leads to topsoil erosion, making the area more susceptible to landslides.
According to Police Superintendent Pelita Tacio, 34 have been confirmed dead in Itogon. Before Ms Tacio left the area last Sunday, rescuers were pulling out a body from underneath the thick mud and rocks.
“I could hear villagers wailing in their homes near the site of the accident,” she shares with the Associated Press.
Like Benguet, Baguio also suffered the brunt of the typhoon, submerging and flooding the Loakan Airport, residential areas and popular tourist spots such as La Trinidad’s strawberry fields and Burnham Park.
A combination of strong winds and persistent rainwater also resulted in uprooted trees, fallen electricity poles, and landslides.
As of Saturday, four people have reportedly been killed due to a landslide that enveloped Bakekang Sur, Bakekang Central and Camp 7.
A combination of strong winds and persistent rainwater also resulted in trees and electricity poles falling, and landslides. A section of Marcos Highway at Tuba, Benguet as well as Kennon Road were closed on Saturday due to landslides.
The typhoon, which had unrelenting winds of 205 kph and gusts of 255 kph, made landfall in Luzon last Saturday, devastating the northern-most regions of the country.
Typhoon Mangkhut has since left the country and has made landfall in China.
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