2 died, 8 rescued, 223 evacuated in Cebu due to TD Agaton

AT LEAST two people died in separate landslide incidents in Cebu Province from April 11 to 12, 2022.The landslides occurred amid heavy rains brought about by Tropical Depression Agaton (Megi), authorities said.In San Francisco town in the Camotes Islands, a 52-year-old limestone digger, Avito Espinosa, was killed while working in a small quarry in Sitio Mangodlong, Barangay Himensulan around 5 p.m.A boulder collapsed and pinned Espinosa, who was retrieved by his neighbors and brought to a nearby hospital in town. But he had died before getting treatment.The Municipality of San Francisco has suspended all quarrying activities in the town due to the bad weather.On Tuesday afternoon, April 12, Joshua Salgareno, 22, was also killed after a landslide buried him while he was digging for limestone in Sitio Can-anao, Barangay Poblacion in Oslob town, southern Cebu.Local police said Salgareno had worked as a motorcycle-for-hire driver and laborer before turning to digging limestone for a living. He hailed from Purok Birhen sa Lourdes, Barangay Daanlungsod, Oslob.Lt. Kelvin Roy Mamaradlo, acting Oslob police chief, said they had received a call from Salgareno’s cousin Ronald Gumapon, who reported the landslide in the area.When the local police officers and emergency workers arrived in the area, Gumapon told them that he and Salgareno had been digging limestone when the landslide occurred.Salgareno’s body was retrieved under a pile of limestone after an hour of search.RescuedIn Cebu City, eight children were rescued by local fire and emergency personnel at the bridge in Barangay Capitol Site after they were swept by a flash flood.The rescued children told SunStar Cebu that they were swimming in Guadalupe River. They later noticed that the waters started to become murky.A flash flood then occurred and carried them to Barangay Capitol Site.Some residents who saw them getting swept by the waters called authorities to rescue them.EvacuatedMeanwhile, a total of 223 individuals and three families have been forcibly evacuated due to the threat of landslides in Toledo City, Tudela and San Francisco in the Camotes Islands.In Toledo City, at least 50 individuals and around three families were evacuated after minor landslides occurred in two barangays on Monday, April 11, 2022.The landslides occurred in Sitio Daspu in Barangay Don Andres Soriano and Sitio Lupo in Barangay Carmen.City authorities brought the individuals to the Corazon Cabrera Sports Complex.In Camotes, local authorities reported that at least 173 individuals from Tudela and San Francisco towns have been evacuated due to landslides there.The Cebu Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office also reported that at least five families living in Barangay Libertad, Poro town have been rescued after a minor landslide occurred in their area.StrandedThe Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) Cebu station reported that around 763 travelers had been stranded in various ports in Cebu during the third day of Agaton’s onslaught in the Visayas.Lt. Krysta Bergantin, PCG Cebu operations officer, said at least 20 passenger vessels had cancelled their trips and at least 142 rolling cargo vessels had been stranded in Cebu’s ports as of 3 p.m. on Tuesday, April 12. (GDC, ANV, BBT, HIC, PAC / JKV)