More than 50 Families Evacuated in Quezon Due to Landslide

Over 50 families, or approximately 200 individuals, from Barangay Matinik in Lopez, Quezon, were evacuated on Saturday night due to a landslide.

According to Barangay Chairperson Asher Mabalatan, the landslide destroyed 35 houses, a school, a road, and even the tracks of the Philippine National Railways.

The landslide reportedly began at around 10 p.m. and continued until Sunday morning. Days of heavy rain, which softened the ground in the area, were cited as the cause.

It was explained that the landslide happened suddenly, starting from the road, and severely affected the railway tracks, which were twisted out of shape. Four consecutive days of heavy rain and flooding were noted as contributing factors.

A plea for assistance from the national government was made by Mabalatan, requesting aid for basic necessities such as household items, food, and water, as the barangay's water supply had been buried under the landslide.

Meanwhile, Melchor Avenilla, a disaster officer from the Quezon provincial government, shared that coordination with the Mines and Geosciences Bureau is ongoing to conduct an assessment of the incident.

Some of the evacuees remain in evacuation centers, reluctant to return home due to fears of another landslide.