On February 12, 2024, The Washington post reported that there were 55 fatalities and 32 injured in one of the deadliest landslides of recent years. The landslide hit the town of Maco located in Davao De Oro, Philippines. It had been triggered by heavy rains over the preceding week, which swept away three buses and a jeepney, in addition to a buried village. As of February 12, 51 people remained unaccounted for. Recent floods in the province, also caused by heavy rains, hampered rescue attempts afterward.
Screenshot of the title page of the article written by Regine Cabato from The Washington Post’s website
This was not the first time landslides had occurred in the area, previously having experienced them in 2007 and 2008, workers returned to the area despite a “no-build” policy in order to be closer to their workplace. “People should not have been allowed to settle in that place, and there is no excuse for all who are responsible for allowing it,” said Dr. Mahar Lagmay, Executive Director of the University of the Philippines Resilience Institute (UPRI). The UPRI urged the government to follow international guidelines on risk assessment and hazard mapping to identify dangerous zones and also identify areas suitable for residential living.
Read the full article by The Washington Post by clicking on this link.