A family of nine who sought shelter in their home in Canlaon City, Negros Oriental, was swept away by raging floodwaters at the height of Typhoon Tino on Tuesday night.
Seven members of the Espora family were later found buried under thick mud and large rocks, while two others remain missing as of press time.
According to Seth Bariga of the Canlaon Public Information Office (PIO), the family likely did not expect flash flooding in their area, which had never experienced such an event before.
‘During our rescue and retrieval operations, their neighbors told us that during the onslaught of the flash flood, the family tried to climb up to the roof of their house to avoid being swept away. But when they got on the roof, it suddenly collapsed,’ Bariga said.
The family’s home was located along the national road, with a river stream directly behind it. The stream, which had never overflowed in the past, burst its banks during the storm.
Rescue teams said the water overflowed from the stream and surged into the Esporas’ home. As the family struggled to escape the rising waters at the back of their house, another flash flood hit from the front, trapping them between two strong currents.
‘They were literally sandwiched by two powerful water currents,’ one rescuer said.
On November 5, retrieval teams recovered the bodies of the seven victims buried under mud and boulders. The fatalities were identified as Ruditha Espora, 60; Reyno Espora, 60; Thea Sandra Espora, 20; Lady Grace Espora; Amarath Espora, 3; Indigho Espora, 10 sand John Nathan Espora, 10
Search and rescue operations for the two remaining missing family members are still ongoing