ILOILO – Determined volunteers and rescuers continue to battle rain, mud, and unstable terrain in a massive retrieval operation for a man believed to have been buried alive in a landslide in Barangay Barasalon, Janiuay town.
The landslide, which occurred on the afternoon of November 5, was believed to have covered 29-year-old Tommy Argaña while he was inspecting their family’s water line in a hilly area.
According to Police Captain Marlon Perez, chief of the Janiuay Municipal Police Station, Argaña’s wife reported him missing around 4 p.m. after he failed to return home.
“She found that a portion of the hillside had collapsed and feared her husband was trapped underneath,” Perez said.
Preliminary investigation indicates that while the weather was initially fair, soil saturation from recent Typhoon “Tino” likely caused the slope to give way.
Perez noted that “the landslide began from the highest point of the hill,” with an estimated 100 tons of soil cascading down and complicating recovery efforts.
More than 100 volunteers have since joined local responders in manually digging through the debris, as the narrow access roads have made it impossible to bring in heavy equipment. Janiuay’s Mayor Paul Parian lent a small backhoe to help in the operation.
Rescue teams were forced to pause efforts Thursday night, November 6, due to rain and low visibility.
The operation resumed the next morning with reinforcements from the Philippine Air Force, Philippine Army, Iloilo Police Provincial Office, and Bureau of Fire Protection. K9 units were also deployed to speed up the search.
Despite the dangerous conditions, the community remains hopeful. Residents continue to provide manpower, food, and emotional support to the Argaña family as they await word on the fate of their loved one./PN
