5 students among dead in Baguio landslide
MANILA, Philippines – Five young students were among those who died after a landslide struck Barangay Guisad Surong in Baguio City following nonstop rain in the area, the Department of Education (DepEd) said on Tuesday, August 11.
According to the DepEd, among those who died in the tragedy were two Grade 7 students from Guisad Valley National High School; a Grade 3 student and a Grade 4 student from Bonifacio Elementary School; and a student under the Alternative Learning System.
“Nakikiramay po kami nang buong puso (We extend our heartfelt condolences),” the agency said in a statement.
“We ask the entire education community to join us in keeping the families, the victims, and the Cordillera region in our prayers,” it added.
On late Sunday evening, August 9, 13 people were buried by thick mud and debris as the southwest monsoon or habagat battered areas in Luzon. Three houses were hit by the landslide, affecting five families, according to the Baguio City Public Information Office.
Search, rescue, and retrieval operations ended early Tuesday morning. Three people were pulled out alive, while the remaining 10 died in the landslide.
“We grieve with every family who waited and hoped during the search, and we share in the sadness that has settled over our community. Our thoughts and prayers remain with them during this very difficult time,” Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong said in a statement.
Magalong thanked the responders, volunteers, and other personnel for their work, as well as those who reached out to offer food, clothing, supplies, and other forms of assistance.
He said authorities intend to begin cleanup operations once the weather clears out.
“The area remains dangerous, and our teams have observed stress signs in the soil. We do not want to put our personnel, volunteers, or residents at further risk,” the mayor said.
There were also reported deaths after landslides in other parts of the province of Benguet. Two were killed when a landslide buried a roadside eatery in La Trinidad, and two others died while clearing mud near their home in Atok.
Class suspensions, school infra
Meanwhile, the DepEd said face-to-face classes at 9,890 schools across eight regions remain suspended on Tuesday, disrupting the learning of around 6.5 million students.
Some 800 schools in the Ilocos Region have resumed their classes.
More damaged classrooms have also been reported following flooding and landslides triggered by Tropical Storm Maymay (Kujira) and the southwest monsoon.
The DepEd said at least 32 schools were hit by landslides.
As of 8 am on Tuesday, the agency said 3,927 classrooms sustained minor damage, 1,135 had major damage, and 1,093 were “totally damaged.” The figure came from 961 affected schools.
Currently, 522 classrooms in 134 schools have been turned into evacuation centers for more than 2,800 families. – Rappler.com
