Elderly couple’s bodies found hugging each other five days after landslide
The bodies of an elderly couple were found hugging each other on Thursday morning (23 Oct), five days after a landslide occurred in Bukidnon, Philippines.
According to local media reports, Ely and Thelma Ubatay, both 60 years old, were riding their motorised tricycle on their way home from town when tragedy struck on Saturday evening (18 Oct).
Source: @HernelTocmo on X
A landslide had caused the road they were traversing to collapse, sweeping them away.
Landslide was 400 metres long
According to GMA Regional TV, the couple’s vehicle was discovered a day after the landslide.
However, searching for the missing couple was much trickier due to the extent of the landslide, which measured 400 metres long from crown to toe, Manila Bulletin reported.
Source: @HernelTocmo on X
The couple’s bodies were found about 90 to 100 metres from the crown of the landslide, at a depth of about three metres.
Search and rescue dogs helped find missing couple
About 400 responders – including soldiers, police officers, local government employees, and staff from different government agencies – took part in the search and retrieval operations.
Besides rescue workers, four search and rescue dogs assisted in finding the couple’s bodies.
Source: Municipality of Quezon, Bukidnon on Facebook
Municipal Information Officer Forts Cabarde said the canines had sensed the location of the bodies days before they were unearthed. However, constant rain and the difficulty of accessing the ground with heavy equipment delayed the retrieval.
According to GMA News, Ely and Thelma previously survived an Oct 2024 landslide that killed three family members.
Also read: 4-month-old baby is family’s sole survivor after boulder crushes their home in Philippines
4-month-old baby is family’s sole survivor after boulder crushes their home in Philippines
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Featured image adapted from Municipality of Quezon, Bukidnon on Facebook, Municipality of Quezon, Bukidnon on Facebook.
