Rescuers and local residents in the hinterland village of Planas in Guihulngan, Negros Oriental on Friday afternoon retrieved the decomposing bodies of a pregnant mother and her two young children who were buried in a landslide triggered by a Magnitude 6.9 earthquake Monday.
The three are the first to be recovered from the Planas landslide amid early reports that of dimming hopes for survivors of the two biggest landslides caused by the earthquake, namely, that in Planas and another in Solonggon, La Libertad.
The victims were identified as Maritess Nocos Jimenez, 32, her daughter Christie, 2, and her son, Arvin, one year old, said Guihulngan City Councilor Jessica Villarmente.
Although already in an advanced state of decomposition, they were identified through their clothing and by the husband, whose name was not made available at press time.
Rescue workers from different government and private groups have been at Planas since Tuesday for search, rescue and retrieval operations after at least 24 people were reported missing and believed buried under the landslide. The landslide area is so vast and hardly accessible, which has made it impossible to bring in heavy equipment for the retrieval of those believed to be buried underground.
Mike Gorne of the Amity Volunteer Fire Brigade and team leader of their group deployed at Planas told this reporter that around noon Friday, relatives of the victims noticed an unusually large swarm of flies in a certain portion of the landslide area.
Buckling down to work, using only picks and shovels and manual labor, rescuers dug up the victims’ bodies in shallow ground, between one to four feet underneath the rubble, said Gorne.
The mother and her son were found almost next to each other while the daughter was found a few feet away.
Residents said the family’s house was at a higher elevation of the mountain before the ground collapsed.
Councilor Villarmente said body bags were immediately sent to Planas for the cadavers while arrangements are being made for the local government unit to provide burial and other forms of assistance to the family of the victims.
Among those who are still helping out in the retrieval operations at the Planas landslide are volunteers and rescue workers of the Bureau of Fire Protection, Philippine National Police, Amity Fire Brigade Volunteers from Bacolod City, Philix Mining, Phil Saga, Apex, and a group coming from Albay.
Rescue workers say there is no timeline yet as to when retrieval operations will terminate despite problems being encountered such as little provisions like food and water, unpredictable weather which would bring rains and trigger more landslides, and the inaccessibility of the area.