10 killed in Cotabato landslides, flashfloods

Koronadal City – Ten persons, including eight children and a seven-month-old baby, were killed in a separate landslide and flashflood incidents in T’boli town in South Cotabato province, a provincial official said yesterday.

Haydee Lacdoo, deputy chief of South Cotabato’s social welfare and development office, said all the landslide fatalities were pupils of an elementary school in Barangay Desawu of the said town.

Killed were Malvin Tanon and Jerson Lamban, eight years old; Jemwel Haus, nine; Respy Haus, six and Benjie Denyal, five. All victims were residents of the said barangay.

Lacdoo said the landslide occurred in the remote part of Sitio Lemluk-El in Barangay Desawu at around 4:30 p.m. on Friday during a downpour.

“Pauwi na ang mga bata galing sa kanilang school at habang naglalakad sa gilid ng daan bigla na lang nag-collapse ang lupa sa maliit na bundok at natabunan sila lahat. Walang nakaligtas sa kanila,” Lacdoo said.

She said the bodies of the children were retrieved after several hours of digging.

The disaster team from T’boli town reportedly cordoned the landslide area for safety purposes after they retrieved the bodies of the children.

On Saturday afternoon, Lacdoo said a mother and her four children were also killed by the rampaging floodwaters while crossing the river in Barangay Lamhaku of the same town.

Of the four children reported killed, one of them was seven months old, who was carried by her mother on her shoulder when strong currents of floodwaters swept them away.

“Inanod sila ng malakas na agos ng tubig habang tumatawid sa isang sapa doon. Pauwi na sila sana sa kanilang bahay,” Lacdoo said.