A 15-member team from the Metro Manila Development Authority was expected to arrive yesterday from Manila to help in the retrieval operations of people believed buried by landslides in Guihulngan City and La Libertad town in northern Negros Oriental.

Major landslides were reported in Barangay Solongon in La Libertad and Barangay Planas in Guihulngan following the magnitude 6.9 earthquake that hit the capital of Dumaguete and many towns and cities in of the province on Monday.

The MMDA team will be deployed to assist in the search, rescue and retrieval operations with personnel from the Philippine Army, Philippine National Police, Bureau of Fire Protection, Negros Oriental Search and Rescue already digging under the rubble for possible victims.

The number of missing persons believed buried or reported as missing are varied, so the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council could not give an exact figure.

The MMDA is also expected to deploy an ambulance and heavy equipment to the landslide areas, which are barely accessible and can be reached mostly on foot.

Some of the dead have already been retrieved.

A Philippine Air Force Sikorsky helicopter of the 5052nd Search and Rescue Group is also on standby in Guihulngan City while two UH-1Hs helicopters of the Philippine Air Force are also deployed at the brigade headquarters for air medical evacuation.

So far, two wounded persons have been airlifted to Dumaguete for treatment.

Meanwhile, Col. Francisco Patrimonio, commander of the 302nd Infantry Brigade based in Tanjay City, Negros Oriental, said he has deployed soldiers to the landslide areas to help in the retrieval operations.

Patrimonio said retrieval operations have to be carefully carried out due to unpredictable weather that would endanger the lives of rescuers.*JFP

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