Four houses damaged as old dump collapses

DAVAO CITY – At least four houses were damaged when an old garbage dump in Barangay Matina Pangi here collapsed last Monday night due to continuous heavy rains.

The houses stood below a mound that used to be a garbage dump along the Diversion Road. The city government transferred the local dump to Barangay New Carmen, several kilometers away from the original site, a few years ago.

No one was reported hurt in the incident.

Barangay officials lamented how the affected families had refused to leave the area despite repeated warnings of a possible collapse.

The city social services and development office extended assistance to the affected families, while the city environment and natural resources office inspected the site.

Meanwhile, the Office of the Civil Defense here and the Southern Mindanao Regional Disaster Coordinating Council warned residents of possible flash floods and landslides as a low pressure area affecting the region may trigger continuous rainfall.

The towns of Panabo, Carmen, Braulio Dujali and Sto. Tomas in Davao del Norte and certain areas in Davao Oriental and Compostela Valley have been identified as prone to floods.

Thousands of small-scale miners at the gold-rush site on Mt. Diwalwal in Monkayo, Compostela Valley were also warned of possible landslides.   – Edith Regalado