A volcano in Italy erupted and another earthquake in Japan took place; it does seem like the world is starting to come to an end, and 2012 just started. On January 5, at 3 am, a landslide cascaded through the gold mining site Napnapan village in Pantukan. It killed a reported 36 people and buried many more with estimations in the hundreds. Sixteen people were taken to the hospital with six in critical condition. It swept away about 50 houses and many other buildings and shanties in the area.
The cause of the landslide is due to a “highly susceptible” fissure on the mountainside. Ramon Paje, Environment and Natural Resources Secretary, warned residents and officials near the mountain of a landslide possibility, but they did not heed the warning; officials continued giving out small-scale mining permits. Paje said, “Had they listened to us and stopped the entry (of miners), there would have been no casualty.”
Many poor Filipinos dig for gold in the area on the off chance of striking big. This unregulated mining, plus erosion from rain, further stressed the fissure that caused the landslide. Unregulated mining increases the chance of landslides and cave-ins because it creates unstable tunnels and mine shafts.
Authorities and the army’s 10th Infantry Division continue to dig and search for survivors among the rubble. Heavy rains following the landslide hampered the search. It could trigger more landslides, but they are continuing to work hard. They discovered an opening full of soil and rocks and authority are unsure of how many tunnels and shafts there are.