DEATH TOLL RISES TO SIXIN GUISAD SURONG LANDSLIDE; FIVE STILL MISSING

The death toll from the Guisad Surong landslide rose to six Monday afternoon after rescuers recovered two more victims, including a two-year-old girl, from the debris.

The Baguio City Public Information Office said the child was retrieved at around 2:52 p.m., followed by an adult woman. Their recovery brought the latest tally to six dead, three rescued alive and five still missing.

Authorities said 14 people were believed to have been caught in the landslide, which struck three houses in the Riverside area of Guisad Surong at around 7 p.m. Sunday, August 9.

The number of people believed to have been affected changed several times as authorities verified information from families and responders. The count was initially placed at 13 before Mayor Benjamin Magalong confirmed that it had been revised to 14.

As of 3 p.m. Monday, the five missing individuals were identified as three females and two males.

SEARCH OPERATIONS CONTINUE

Rescue, search and retrieval operations continued Monday despite intermittent rain, fog and difficult conditions at the site.

Fresh teams have been deployed to relieve earlier shifts as responders work through mud, soil and debris to locate those still unaccounted for.

An Incident Command Post has also been established at the site to coordinate the efforts of various responding agencies.

Police officers, firefighters, soldiers, disaster response personnel, barangay officials, volunteers and community responders are participating in the operation.

Mayor Benjamin Magalong has remained at the site to monitor the rescue effort and coordinate with response teams.

Authorities continue to exercise caution as unstable ground conditions and persistent rain pose additional risks to rescuers.

The search and retrieval operation remains ongoing as authorities work to locate the five people still missing.

THIS IS A DEVELOPING STORY.