TWO PEOPLE were injured and four houses were damaged after a landslide triggered the collapse of a retaining wall in a coastal village in Catbalogan City in Samar on Tuesday.
The landslide happened despite fair weather around 10 a.m. at Zone 5, Mercedes village, just a kilometer away from the city’s commercial district.
Based on the preliminary investigation, the heavy rains last week have weakened the protective wall. However, S/Sgt. Christopher Prudenciado of Catbalogan police station said in a phone interview they are digging deeper on the cause of the wall’s collapse.
Injured by mudslides were Annabel Cabarles, 36, and Kevin Cabarles, 14, who were both rushed to the Samar Provincial Hospital for treatment.
Last Friday, Catbalogan Mayor Dexter Uy ordered the evacuation of 40 families from Zone 5 due to heavy rains dumped by Tropical Depression Marilyn.
More families are expected to take shelter at the evacuation center as the local government imposed a total evacuation on the site due to more visible cracks seen in other portions of the protective wall.
The landslide site is just a few meters away from where the December 2014 landslide that killed more than 20 Catbalogan residents happened.(By Roel Amazona)
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