ITOGON, Benguet — Over two hundred families in this mining town were evacuated after a series of landslides caused by incessant rains in Itogon,Benguet.

Engr.Cyril Batcagan, head of the Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (MDRRMO) – Itogon, asked miners to temporarily stop any mining activities while the bad weather continues.

He also reminded residents, especially those living in landslide-prone areas, to be double-checked and evacuate immediately if necessary to avoid any tragedy.

Reports from Barangay Captain Flordeliza Depayso in Sitio Goldfield, Barangay Poblacion, said fifteen families were affected after a large part of the mountain collapsed.

Depayso, the assessment and monitoring are still ongoing, so the number of those affected is possible to increase. One house was buried by the collapsed soil, but fortunately, no one was reported injured because the residents had already evacuated before the incident.

According to her, it may take a month to open the buried road due to the amount of soil that has blocked it.

Batcagan said they are looking into the possibility of alternative routes, however, he admitted that they cannot recommend a route yet because other roads in the town are also affected by landslides and rockslides.

He added that they are also investigating whether the landslide is related to mining, although at present there are no mining operations in the affected part of the barangay.

In Camp 3, Acupan, Virac, Itogon, 213 families or 866 individuals were evacuated after fifteen houses were destroyed due to the ongoing landslide.

The concerned agencies assured that assistance will continue to be provided to the affected families such as food, temporary shelter, and other basic necessities.