DAVAO CITY – An elderly couple was declared missing in a landslide on late Saturday in a mountain zigzag road connecting this city with the municipality of Quezon, Bukidnon.
The municipal government of Quezon said rescuers already dug up the couple’s ‘bao-bao,’ a three-wheeler cab, that witnesses have said they saw that fell off the ravine in Mountain Overview, Sitio Kipolot, Barangay Palacapao, when a 100-meter long three lane part of the Davao-Bukidnon road yielded to the landslide.
The landslide happened in the evening of Saturday.
Rescuers from various government agencies in Quezon and the province of Bukidnon already found the green-colored bao-bao cab but none of the couple was found. The rescuers included those from the police, the Army, the Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Manangement Office, Bureau of Fire Protection, municipal engineering office, the Department of Public Works and Highways, and members of the Barangay Tanod of Barangay Palacapao.
DPWH personnel already cordoned off both sides of the highway and diverted traffic to alternate routes. It said that for trucks and other heavy vehicles, they may take road in Maramag (via Camp One) to Damulog in Bukidnon to Carmen, Kabacan, Matalam and Kidapawan towns of North Cotabato, to Bansalan and Digos City of Davao del Sur to Davao City.
For cars and other light vehicles, they may take the Valencia City and San Fernando highway in Bukidnon, connecting to the towns of Talaingod, Kapalong, Tagum City and Panabo City of Davao del Norte, to Davao City.
Quezon municipal Mayor Poling Lorenzo III has asked municipal personnel to update him of the progress of the rescue and has coordinated with the DPWH to open the access roads.