Death toll hits 116 in RP dump avalanche<\/p>\n
MANILA (AFP): The death toll from a garbage avalanche that
\nwiped out an entire community of scavenger families near Manila
\nclimbed to 116 Wednesday, as fears grew about the risk of
\ndisease.<\/p>\n
Remaining residents, and rescue workers sifting through the
\nputrid mountain of trash for more bodies, were warned of the
\nmounting health risk caused by decaying corpses buried in the
\ngarbage.<\/p>\n
\"It is a potential hazard because from opening body bags for
\nidentification alone, the stench is very bad,\" Kit Villaranda, a
\nPhilippine National Red Cross official at the site, told AFP.<\/p>\n
\"It is not good for the health, particularly with airborne
\nbacteria.\"<\/p>\n
She said vaccines and anti-toxins were being given to rescuers
\nand residents as a preventive measure.<\/p>\n
Grieving relatives of those buried under the rubbish joined
\nthe hundreds of rescuers to look for their loved ones, using
\npicks, shovels and their bare hands.<\/p>\n
Officials already gave up hope any survivors could be
\nrecovered three days after a mountain of rubbish at the Payatas
\ndumpsite came crashing down on about 300 shanty dwellings housing
\npeople who eked out a living by scavenging.<\/p>\n
The crash on the one-hectare dumpsite was triggered by
\ntorrential rains caused by twin typhoons last week.<\/p>\n
\"Rescuers have recovered a total of 116 bodies so far as of
\nnoon today and we are still expecting more to be extricated
\nwithin the day,\" said Villaranda.<\/p>\n
\"Prospects have already dimmed we will get people alive,\" she
\nsaid, even as she stressed rescue officials would continue with
\nrecovery efforts until it was certain no more bodies could be
\nfound.<\/p>\n
Many of those recovered in the past two days were mangled and
\nbloated beyond recognition. Body parts amongst the trash and dirt
\nwere also recovered and placed in individual plastic bags.<\/p>\n
\"There were body parts, other bodies were bloated and burnt.
\nThere was one body that was headless and we don't know whether
\nthey were torn by the trash slide or by backhoes that combed the
\narea,\" Villaranda said. \"Many relatives could not identify their
\ndead.\"<\/p>\n
Fifty-eight people were rescued and given proper treatment,
\nwhile at least 15 others were recuperating in various hospitals.<\/p>\n
The National Disaster Coordinating Council said local
\nauthorities \"could not determine the number of persons buried
\nbecause of the absence of a census\" but residents earlier
\nreported that at least 150 others were missing.<\/p>\n
\"It is getting grim with more than a hundred dead bodies
\nalready retrieved,\" Defense Secretary Orlando Mercado said. \"It
\nis indeed already in a state where we are in a recovery mode.\"<\/p>\n
About 500 soldiers, health and social workers as well as Red
\nCross staff and volunteer were helping with the search, which has
\nbeen continually hampered by rainshowers that have softened the
\nloose foundation of dirt and trash.<\/p>\n
New fissures were monitored in other areas of the dump site
\nthat could lead to a cave in, forcing officials to evacuate
\nhundreds of residents to safer areas.<\/p>\n
Social workers from the Red Cross as well as the health
\ndepartment were providing \"psychosocial care\" to survivors and
\nrelatives, many of whom were in deep shock and in a state of
\ndenial, officials said.<\/p>\n
\"You can't figure out the expression on their faces. Most of
\nthe relatives kept digging with their bare hands, showing
\nfrustrated rescuers where their houses were,\" Villaranda said.<\/p>\n
The tragedy, the worst in recent Philippine history, forced
\nofficials to ask Congress for a review the country's waste
\nmanagement law, which had for years allowed open dump sites to
\nabsorb the capital's estimated 10,000 tons of trash daily.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/death-toll-hits-116-in-rp-dump-avalanche-1447893297",
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