90 people are missing; rescuers are using their hands to dig through mud and debris in search of them.

Rescue teams are racing against time because, two days after the landslide, the number of missing people has risen to 90, nearly double the figure recorded the day before. Meanwhile, the weather is hindering the delivery of specialized equipment to the scene.

To date, at least seven people have died and 31 have been injured in the landslide, while many homes and vehicles carrying workers at the nearby gold mine have also been submerged in mud, according to The Manila Times.

The scene of the landslide.

Edward Macapili, an official from the Davao de Oro provincial disaster management agency, told AFP that the landslide left a deep cut into the mountain. Rescuers pulled one person alive from the mud 11 hours after the disaster occurred. Therefore, he believes there is still a chance to save the missing people.

Police, soldiers, and rescue workers from neighboring areas have also been deployed to Masara to assist in the search and rescue operation.

Landslides are a frequent hazard in much of the Philippines due to its mountainous terrain, heavy rainfall, and widespread deforestation caused by mining, slash-and-burn agriculture, and illegal logging.

Rain has been falling in many areas of Mindanao for weeks now, causing dozens of landslides and floods that have forced tens of thousands of people to seek emergency shelter.

Science and Technology Minister Renato Solidum said on February 7 that major earthquakes have also destabilized the region in recent months. Hundreds of families in Masara and four neighboring villages have been evacuated from their homes and taken shelter in emergency centers due to fears of further landslides.

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