Landslide death toll climbs to 98 in Philippines

Manila, Feb 18 (IANS) The death toll from a landslide in a mining town in Davao de Oro province in southern Philippines has climbed to 98, a regional disaster prevention office said.

The Maco Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office said on Saturday that rescuers continue to search for nine others who remained missing, Xinhua news agency reported.

Rocks, soil and debris triggered by days of rain slid from mountainside on the evening of February 6, burying houses and vehicles on its path, including two buses that were used to ferry workers to and from a nearby mining firm in Maco town. The miners on the buses were among the dead.

Thirty-two people sustained injuries.

The World Risk Index 2022 put the Philippines at number one spot for the most disaster-prone countries in the world.

Located in the Pacific Ring of Fire, the archipelago is frequently battered by powerful typhoons, which trigger flash floods and landslides, and rocked by earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.

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