2 children die in Bohol landslide, 4 hurt

CEBU City, Philippines—Two children, aged 4 and 2, were killed while four others including their parents were hurt in a landslide early Sunday in a village in Maribojoc town, Bohol.

The fatalities were identified as John Rey Potat, 4, and his younger sister Princess Joy, 2, both from Barangay (village) Loreto in nearby Cortes town.

They were declared dead on arrival by physicians at the Celestino Gallares Memorial Hospital in the capital city of Tagbilaran.

Their parents, Bonifacio Potat, 24, and wife Marites, 20, were also taken to the same hospital but were declared in stable condition, said Police Officer 3 Magdaleno Barnido of Maribojoc police.

Barnido said Bonifacio and his family were sleeping in a bunkhouse below an abandoned quarry site in Sitio (settlement) Abatan, Barangay Lincod, in Maribojoc. The abandoned quarry site had been used as site for the hollow block business of Numeriano Almeñe.

Bonifacio was one Almeñe’s workers, along with Ronel Pacaña from Barangay Loreto in Cortes and Jimmy Tirol from Barangay Lincod in Maribojoc.

Bonifacio’s wife, Marites, arrived on Thursday with their two children to visit him. They were supposed to go home in Cortes after attending Mass on Sunday morning.

While Bonifacio, his family and two other workers were sleeping, mud and limestones fell into the bunkhouse about 3:30 a.m. Sunday.

Barnido said that when the landslide happened, Pacaña and Tirol were thrown away and were slightly hurt. But Bonifacio and his family were buried with the limestones, he added.

Pacana and Tirol said that although wounded, they immediately dug into the pile of limestones to look for the couple and their children.

They were able to recover Bonifacio and Marites. The two children were retrieved 30 minutes later.