11 more bodies found in buried DPWH building in Natonin

November 3, 2018

NATONIN – Six more bodies were retrieved from the rubble of a government building, bringing the total number of deaths to 11 on the fifth day of retrieval operations in Sitio Ha’rang, Barangay Banawel.

Fourteen bodies were actually dug out from the DPWH Mt. Province Second Engineering District building buried by a landslide, said Natonin mayor Mateo Chiyawan.

But the provincial disaster risk reduction and management office listed 11 because these were identified. 

Cordillera police spokesperson Supt. Pelita Tacio said the number of missing rose to 21 from Friday's 18. 

The number of rescued victims has not progressed from 14,  boosting fears of Chiyawan that “since day one of the search, it was more of a retrieval than rescue”.  But Cordillera police remain optimistic of finding survivors, said Tacio. 

At least 30 were at the DPWH building during the height of Typhoon "Rosita". DMS