4 children feared dead in Zamboanga Sibugay landslide

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines—Four children were feared dead after they were buried alive in a huge landslide in Kabasalan, Zamboanga Sibugay, police reported Thursday.

Insp. Ariel Huesca, spokesman of the Western Mindanao Police Office, told the Philippine Daily Inquirer via a text message that the children were resting in an abandoned house in Purok 4 in Barangay (village) Sayao around 2:30 p.m. on Tuesday when soil, mud and rocks moved amid heavy rains.

Huesca identified those missing and feared dead as siblings Fatima, 12, and Eugene Maghanoy, 9; and their cousins and siblings Sherlyn Mae, 7, and Eziquel Meziah Lugatiman, 3.

Huesca said the children’s parents claimed they heard somebody shout and warn about an impending disaster but it was too late for the victims.

“The parents of the victims heard somebody shouting that there was a big landslide toward the direction of the children but it only took the mud and debris a few seconds to bury the abandoned house,” he said.

Huesca said rescuers had not found any of the victims as of Thursday and that there were fears they were dead by now, more than 48 hours after disaster struck.