ITCZ seen to hamper rescue of landslide victims

CEBU will remain damp and gloomy for the next few days due to the prevailing Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ).

This is bad news for those conducting search and rescue operations for the more than 60 persons feared buried by a massive landslide in the City of Naga, southern Cebu on Thursday, September 20.

Engr. Al Quiblat Jr., chief of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) in Mactan, said that the ITCZ will continue to bring cloudy skies and light to moderate rainshowers in the Visayas and Mindanao as well as parts of Southern Luzon.

Quiblat also warned the public not to be complacent just because there is no typhoon because he said that there are other weather systems which could instigate heavy raining.

He said that Pagasa-Mactan has recorded at least 12 rainy days for the month of September up to Thursday, September 20.

He added that as of Wednesday (Sept. 19), the weather state bureau recorded an accumulated rainfall level of about 133.5 millimeters (mm).

“Mao ni ilang bantayan kay humok na baya ang yuta sa pila na ka adlaw nga ulan, prone kaayo nga naay panghitabo nga landslide or pagbaha,” he said.

On Thursday morning, a landslide buried two barangays in the City of Naga.

As of 6 p.m. the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO) said that at least 14 persons died including two children while more than 60 individuals are reported missing.

At least 300 emergency responders from all over Cebu were still frantically searching for survivors as of presstime last night, a move considered unsafe by Romeo Aguirre, weather specialist of Pagasa-Mactan.

“So far, delikado kini kay naa na rabay paglihok sa yuta. Kon naay movement sa yuta ug moulan pagbalilk, posible gyod na nga naay mga landslides,” he said.

(This is dangerous because the ground is still moving. If there is ground movement and it rains, then there is a big possibility that landslides would occur).