Five person were killed, while six others were missing, after a two-storey house built on the shoulder of the road in SItio Nabitu, Viewpoint in Banaue, Ifugao collapsed into a ravine on Thursday, November 12.
Police Regional Office-Cordillera (PRO-Cordillera) Director Brig. Gen. R’win Pagkalinawan said a landslide apparently hit the house, sending it crashing into the 100-meter ravine Thursday night.
He said rescuers and volunteers were able to retrieve five bodies Friday morning.
Pagkalinawan said the Banaue Municipal Police Station identified the bodies they recovered as Joel Chur-ig, a driver of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH); Lance Bruce Guinyang, 3; Dante Boqueng, Johnny Cabigat Duccog, and Jose P. Piog, 71.
Pagkalinawan said James Harold Guinyang, who was the first to be rescued after the incident, suffered injuries, and was brought to the Good News Clinic and Hospital for treatment.
Guinyang said there were about 12 persons inside the house owned by a Bresler Tucdaan when the incident happened at around 11:30 p.m.
He added that he was having coffee with 11 others when the landslide occurred.
He named those who were with him when tragedy struck as Lance Bruce Guinyang, Jacob Guinyang, Johnny Duccog, Joshua Culhi, John Pigoh, Jose Piog, Laber Piog, a certain Dante, two or three engineers from the DPWH and an unidentified woman.
Pagkalinawan said rescuers were still conducting search and retrieval operations to find the other missing persons.