Cayagan De Oro City, Misamis Oriental - At least six persons were killed due to flashfloods and landslides that occurred in separate areas in Northern Mindanao caused by the continuous heavy rains, last weekend.

Reports reaching the Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (RDRRMC) said two children were buried alive while playing in the vicinity of Purok 11, Barangay Tongantongan, Valencia City, at about 8:00 a.m. of July 4.

Their parents who were in the city some 20 km. from their homes only knew about their plight when they came home in the afternoon. Immediately, the bodies of the victims: Joy Culamar, 7 yrs. Old, female and Roque Santillan, 6 yr. old, male, were retrieved by their respective families and relatives.

At about 8:45a.m., the same day, another landslide occurred in Sitio Hangaron, Lumbayao, also of Valencia City, more than 20 km. from Tongantongan, Director Carmelito A. Lupo of the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) and Chairperson of the RDRRMC-10, said.

Packet landslides along the area already gave the barangay officials time to warn the commuters. In fact, some passenger jeeps had to stop but were unable to prevent their passengers from helping each other get across the pile of soil and walk to the other side. It was then that three persons: Segundina Bacon Lagunay, 68, and Marites S. Lagunay, 32, mother and daughter from Medina, Misamis Oriental got covered by an estimated 6,000 cu.m. of soil that covered about 400 meters of the Valencia City National Highway leading to Davao City via San Fernando, Bukidnon.

The incident also led to the injury of Reyante Sadsad, a resident of Musuan in Maramag and Bienvenido Castro, Jr., Manolito Castro and Jason Dableo, of Little Baguio, San Fernando.

Again, at about 5:30 p.m. of July 4, a landslide occurred in Barangay Malayanan, San Fernando, Bukidnon, more than 50 km. from Valencia City. No one died in the incident but three houses belonging to Julito Vayson, Ramil Sumalinog and Jessie Vayson were totally destroyed.

Meanwhile, a report of flooding occurred at about 6:00p.m. in the spill-way of Pallilan River in Barangay Mialim, Jimenez town, Misamis Occidental, resulting in the washing away of a certain P/Supt. Timoteo Conol, a retired officer of the Philippine National Police (PNP).

Search and rescue operations were immediately conducted which proved futile since it was getting dark and so the team decided to continue the next day.

Lupo said in fact, the Philippine Coast Guards of Ozamiz City requested the City DRRMC for the use of the rubber boat of the OCD-10.

By 6:30 a.m. of July 5, based on a report of a dead body found along Pallilan River at Barangay Sinara Bajo, Jimenez, some seven (7) km. from the spill way, the team proceeded to the said site and recovered the body of the late P/Supt. Conol.