2 dead, 2 missing in Leyte landslide

TACLOBAN CITY, Philippines — Two persons died and two others remained missing when a perimeter fence collapsed following a landslide amid heavy rains in Barangay 43-B Quarry in this city on Saturday night.

The bodies of Delia Carson, 60, and Zoe Hernandez, 17, were recovered on Sunday and yesterday, respectively.

Brando Bernadas, city disaster risk reduction and management council (CDRRMC) officer, said Hernandez’s mother Zerjean and her partner identified only as Alex remained missing.

Seven houses were buried in the landslide.

“The fence is a narrow pathway that leads to an interior portion of the barangay where there are informal settlers. The affected structures are made of light materials,” Bernadas said.

Mayor Cristina Romualdez ordered the evacuation of residents occupying the hilly area in the barangay as a precaution against more landslides.

Eastern Visayas has been experiencing heavy rains due to the northeast monsoon, tail-end of a cold front and intertropical convergence zone since last week.

Classes, work suspended

Classes in all levels in this city as well as 11 other towns in Leyte, in the entire province of Biliran and several towns in Northern Samar were suspended yesterday as many barangays remained flooded due to continuous heavy rains.

Work in government offices were also suspended in this city.

A certain Melvin and Jonathan Castillo were injured in a landslide in Silvino Lobos, Northern Samar.

In Ormoc, the CDRRMC said 306 families or around 1,230 persons evacuated their homes, which were submerged in floodwaters about three feet deep.

Mayor Richard Gomez did not declare a citywide suspension of classes. He left it up to school principals to determine class suspensions, especially in schools used as evacuation centers.