Death toll from Philippines landslide jumps to 68

51 missing still missing as rescue efforts shift to search and retrieval; US provides $1.25M aid

MANILA:

The death toll from a landslide in the southern Philippines has climbed to 68 as officials said on Monday the window of finding more survivors is closing.

Rescuers were looking for 51 more people in the wake of the Feb. 6 landslide, which struck outside a gold mine in Maco town in Davao de Oro province and buried homes and vehicles that were supposed to ferry employees of the mining company.

Disaster authorities plan to shift their focus from search and rescue to search and retrieval beginning on Tuesday, Maco town disaster officer Ariel Capoy said.

Read more: Earthquake of 7.5 strikes Philippines, tsunami expected in Philippines and Japan

Torrential rains have battered Davao de Oro in recent weeks, triggering floods and landslides, forcing many families to flee their homes.

The United States, through the US Agency for International Development, was providing $1.25 million in humanitarian aid to the affected communities in the southern islands, its embassy in Manila said in a statement.

The US Defense Department also provided two C-130 cargo planes to help deliver food packs in the affected communities.