BENGUET, Philippines – A pregnant woman and a student were both killed in landslides during heavy rains in separate areas in Mankayan, Benguet and Tabuk City, Kalinga, on September 3.
According to the Mankayan Municipal Police Station, the victim, an eight months pregnant, native of Atok, Benguet, was sleeping at around 4:40 p.m. in their house in Sitio Lower Lip-atan, Barangay Guinaoang, Mankayan, Benguet, during heavy rains, when the riprap wall behind their house suddenly collapsed and she was buried under soil and debris.
Personnel from the Mankayan MPS, Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP), Guinaoang Barangay Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Committee (BDRRMC), and volunteers immediately responded to conduct a search and retrieval operation.
The victim’s body was recovered and rushed to the Lutheran Hospital in Abatan, Buguias, but he was declared dead on arrival by the attending physician.
In Kalinga, a 17-year-old grade 11 student also died after being buried under a landslide during heavy rains in Sitio Brookside, Barangay Bulanao, Tabuk City, Kalinga.
Based on the statement of the victim’s mother at the Tabuk City Police Station, they had just finished eating when her son went to his room.
Later, she felt the ground collapse on the side of their house, covering one part of the house. The mother quickly got her youngest child out of the house, but the victim was left in his room.
The incident was reported at around 5:45 pm, which was immediately responded to by personnel from the Kalinga PDRRMO, Tabuk CDRRMO, PNP, and barangay and the unconscious victim was recovered at around 8:07 pm.
