Itogon mayor hopes for survivors in buried bunkhouse

September 19, 2018

The mayor of a mining town in Benguet where at least 60 persons are buried when their bunkhouse was struck by a landslide said he is hoping there will be survivors as rescuers paused Wednesday night.

" There were cats and dogs that left the area a day ago as I was told so I think there is hope ( of finding survivors)," said Mayor Victorio Palangdan of Itogon in an interview over dzMM.

At least 81 persons were reported dead from Typhoon Ompong struck northern Philippines Saturday, with 66 fatalities from the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR).

Palangdan said 18 bodies have been recovered while 57 are still missing. " Yes, that's the exact number," he said.

He said police urged people to leave their bunkhouse, which serves as a place of worship, a few days before the typhoon hit. "They told the police that they are safe there," the mayor said.

Palangdan said the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) had banned small-scale mining in 2009 but it persists. DMS