Gold-Mining Village in South Philippines Buried in Landslide, Resulting in 54 Confirmed Deaths

Authorities in the Philippines reported that the death toll from a massive landslide in a gold-mining village in the southern part of the country has risen to 54, with 63 people still missing as of Sunday.

The landslide occurred in the mountain village of Masara in Davao de Oro province on Tuesday night following weeks of heavy rains.

The provincial government of Davao de Oro stated in a Facebook post that 54 bodies had been found, with at least 32 residents sustaining injuries and 63 still unaccounted for. Among the missing were gold miners who were waiting in two buses to be driven home when the landslide struck and buried them.

Poor weather and the threat of additional landslides have made the search and rescue efforts difficult. Over 1,100 families have been relocated to evacuation centers for their safety, according to disaster response officials.

The region had experienced heavy rainfall in the weeks leading up to the landslide. Additionally, earthquakes had caused damage to homes and buildings in the area in recent months, officials noted.