Girl’s body uncovered in landslide area
La Libertad, Negros Oriental — The body of a teenage girl was recovered from a landslide-stricken village here yesterday morning, bringing to 32 the number of dead in Negros Oriental province following a 6.9-magnitude earthquake that hit Central and Western Visayas before noon Monday.
Lt. Col. Ramil Bitong, commander of the Army’s 11th Infantry Battalion, identified the victim as Joralie Hingala Vergara, 16, based on a text message he received from one of the soldiers conducting a search and rescue operation in barangay Solonggon.
The soldier also informed Bitong that the rescuers expected to find more bodies as the girl, who was found at 10:45 a.m., was reportedly near her relatives when the landslide occurred.
The body was uncovered by one of the two backhoes being used for the rescue operations at the landslide area. /INQUIRER
