The search and retrieval operation at the collapsed South Green Marketing Building in the town of Padada, Davao del Sur was officially terminated on Tuesday night.
This was confirmed by Office of Civil Defense (OCD) 11 Operations Head Franz Irag in a message to Edge Davao.
Irag said Padada Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction Management Officer
Engr. Luke Cadoyas decided to halt the operation around 8:20 p.m. of December 17, since there were no more signs of any person buried inside the collapsed building.
Emily G. Beloy, who was believed to be alive last Monday, was found dead inside the ruined commercial building around 9:55 p.m. of Dec. 16. Beloy, named as Emily Gollegos in previous reports, was an employee of the establishment. Beloy reportedly sent a text message to her workmate Juvelyn Cabatbat that she was still alive along with six other persons.
With Beloy’s body already retrieved, responders presumed that the other six were also dead, leading to the change of operation to retrieval at 10:00 a.m. of Dec. 17.
Irag, however, said the debris clearing operation of the said building will continue.
Meanwhile, the death toll following the 6.9-magnitude earthquake that rocked some towns in Davao del Sur on Sunday has climbed to nine.
The latest casualty is Romeo Sulop, a 10-year-old boy from Malita, Davao Occidental, who was hit by a fallen tree when the quake hit their town last Dec. 15.
The other fatalities of the quake are Elsa Ababon, Evangeline Artiaga, and Emily Benoy from Padada; Cherbel Chen Gador and Juliana Cagas, Matanao; Fernando Balitayo, Magsaysay; Carlito Ibon, Hagonoy; and Elias Degamon, Bansalan, all from Davao del Sur.
