1 killed in Butuan City landslide

BUTUAN CITY- One person was reported killed in a landslide at a village in Butuan City Tuesday, the Office of Civil Defense-Caraga Region said Wednesday. Also, the OCD reported 184 people from 40 families in three municipalities in the island province of Dinagat were evacuated. OCD-Caraga identified the lone fatality in the landslide at Sitio Sta. Cruz, Barangay Manila De Bugabos of the city, as Daryll B. Gales, 20, single, small-scale miner of the village. The report, signed by OCD regional director Blanche Gobenciong, claimed the victim was buried alive in the landslide while digging at a small gold mines in the area. Meanwhile, the 40 families that were evacuated were from the towns of Dinagat, San Jose, and Libjo, the report said. Continuous heavy rain from cyclone Ramon may have loosened mountainside soil and rocks that cascaded into the small-scale mining area in the village where miners were working, the report said, adding that only Gales got caught in the avalanche. Authorities at the Butuan City Environment and Natural Resources Office claimed they have been issuing warnings since last year that the area is landslide-prone, but the small-scale miners insisted to stay. Residents claimed the lack of livelihood forced them to go into small-scale mining activities even if it is extremely dangerous. At least three miners were killed in the landslide in the area last January, the OCD report said. — Ben Serrano/LBG, GMA News