Child rescued 60hrs after landslide devastates gold-mining village

A child has been rescued nearly 60 hours after a catastrophic landslide struck Masara village in southern Mindanao, Philippines.

The incident occurred on Friday, shattering the hopes of finding survivors, but the unexpected recovery of the unnamed girl is being hailed as nothing short of a miracle.

The landslide, triggered by relentless rain, obliterated houses, and swallowed vehicles, including three buses and a jeepney waiting to transport workers from a nearby gold mine. The initial count reported at least 11 fatalities and 31 injuries, with over 100 people still missing.

Rescuers, facing a race against time and challenging weather conditions, scoured the mud-ridden terrain using a combination of heavy earth-moving equipment and, in certain areas, only their bare hands and shovels. The emotional highpoint emerged when a rescuer was captured on video, carrying the mud-covered child to safety. Astonishingly, the child displayed no visible injuries.

Edward Macapili, an official from the disaster agency in Davao de Oro province, expressed his awe, stating, “It’s a miracle. A child’s resilience is usually less than that of adults, yet the child survived.” The discovery has injected renewed hope into the search efforts.

The father of the rescued child, who witnessed the emotional reunion, confirmed her well-being before she was taken to a medical facility for a thorough examination. Social media posts circulated widely, depicting the heartwarming moment and the child’s apparent good health.

Despite previous landslides in 2007 and 2008, the affected area had been designated a “no build zone.” Residents were advised to relocate to a safer area, but many chose to return, defying warnings. The tragedy underscores the challenges faced by communities in regions prone to landslides due to the combination of mountainous terrain, heavy rainfall, and deforestation driven by mining, slash-and-burn farming, and illegal logging.

As Masara and nearby villages grapple with the aftermath, hundreds of families have evacuated to emergency shelters, fearing additional landslides. Schools in the municipality have suspended classes, emphasizing the severity of the situation.

The resilient spirit of the rescued child has become a beacon of hope in the face of adversity, as rescue efforts persist to locate other missing individuals in the hazardous conditions of Masara village.