(updated as of 4:46 pm Feb. 17,2005)
At least 1,000 persons feared buried in Leyte mudslide
By MARS W. MOSQUEDA JR.
SAINT BERNARD, Southern Leyte – More than a thousand people were believed buried underneath the kilometers of mud that wiped out the entire barangay of Guinsaugon, this town, following a mudslide triggered by the collapse of the town’s highest mountain before noon today.
At least 10 kilometers of land was covered by mud when Mount Kan-abag, considered the tallest mountain in the town, collapsed past 11 a.m. today following days of heavy rain, said Southern Leyte Governor Rosette Lerias.
Lerias, as of press time, could not give the exact number of casualties and survivors in the incident but feared that more than a thousand people could have been buried underneath the mudslide because all of the 378 registered houses in the barangay were wiped out, including the Guinsaugon Elementary School that was packed with hundreds of elementary pupils.
“We don’t know the number of casualties yet because our rescuers revealed seeing several dead bodies on the surface of the mud and feared that there could be more underneath,” Lerias, who immediately went to the area to assist rescuers, said in a telephone interview.
Several survivors claimed that days before the incident, they saw an old woman, who was wearing white dress, warning residents that something was going to happen in the area. Residents who saw the old woman said it was the first time they noticed the old woman, adding that she was new to the area and was not a resident.
Rescuers from the Armed Forces of the Philippines, Bureau of Fire Protection, Red Cross, and even the local ROTC cadets were able to retrieve survivors from the mudslide but stated that they saw hundreds of dead bodies spread all over the place.
ROTC cadet Henry Boctot, who joined the team of rescuers in the area, said they were able to rescue at least six persons alive using only their hands and woods in the operation. He said he saw several dead bodies in the area but the rescuers were focused on taking out survivors.
Saint Bernard town Mayor Maria Lim said it was a busy day for barangay Guinsaugon because it was a school day and there was a parade that celebrated the anniversary of a women’s organization in the barangay. She said the rain shower was very mild during that time but several survivors told her they felt tremor before the mountain finally collapsed, causing the mudslide.
Lim also believe that hundreds of people could have been killed in the incident because barangay Guinsaugon had a total of 2,000 residents. As of press time, Lim said she still was not able to penetrate the area for fear of another mudslide.
Several survivors, who were house at the town’s church and auditorium, claimed they have lost loved ones and relatives during the mudslide.
Debbie Pilo said she and her husband were able to save themselves from the flowing mud when they climbed a nearby mountain after realizing that something was going to happen.
“There was a slight tremor and my husband and I noticed mud flowing slowly from the mountain and I knew something was going to happen so we rushed towards the other mountain to save our lives,” said Debbie.
Debbie, however, said her brother Romeo and sister Dolores were not able to make it as she saw her siblings’ houses being covered by the rushing flow of mud. Romeo was at home with his five children, who were also unaccounted for as of press time, while Dolores had three children studying at the Guinsaugon Elementary School.
Beauty Cabacungan, Debbie’s neighbor, said she was buying milk at the nearby barangay when she was informed of the mudslide hitting her place. Cabacungan lost her 11-month-old son, her 67-year-old mother, and a house helper who were all inside her house. Her husband is working abroad.
“I was only away for a few minutes and now my baby is gone. They are all gone,” teary-eyed Cabacungan said.
Cebu Archbishop Ricardo Cardinal Vidal, in a mass at the Cebu Cathedral yesterday, urged the people to pray and extend assistance to the victims of the tragedy. He, however, lashed at government officials who failed to warned residents of the danger of a landslide.
Vidal stressed though that the Archdiocese of Cebu is willing to help the victims in any way it can. #
