BARANGAY Alimsog in Santo Domingo town, Albay province is flooded by heavy rain from tropical depression ‘Wilma’ and the shear line. (Photo via Mayor Mark Aguas)
A 13-year-old boy was buried alive in a landslide Saturday in Santo Domingo town, Albay province, triggered by torrential rains from tropical depression “Wilma.”
Santo Domingo Vice Mayor Mark Aguas said the boy was reportedly waiting with a group of children for fallen coconuts being washed downstream on a river when the slope suddenly collapsed in Purok 1, Barangay Salvacion.
The victim was carried away by the cascading soil and mud.
Search and rescue teams have been deployed to locate the victim.
Albay Public Safety and Emergency Management Office chief Roderick Mendoza confirmed the incident and personally joined search operations with the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP), the Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (MDRRMO), and volunteer groups.
Continuous rains from Wilma and the shear line triggered another landslide in Purok 3, Barangay Buhatan, affecting several homes.
Aguas said the area has long been identified as landslide-prone.
Flooding submerged the barangay proper of Alimsog. Hundreds of residents have been affected.
Floodwaters reached waist level in some areas following heavy rains.
Persistent downpour has caused flooding in several parts of Albay, prompting local officials to issue warnings and closely monitor high-risk areas closely.
Rescue teams remain on the ground as the search for the missing boy continues. Authorities have yet to release his identity pending notification of his family.