A landslide has killed a 78-year-old man in the village of Kalunasan near the city of Cebu on Cebu Island on Saturday 14 January 2017. The incident happened at about 10.00 am local time, when the victim, identified as Calixto Taburnal, was attempting to clear away some debris in his garden left by an earlier event, apparently unaware that such small landslips can precede larger earth movements.
The approximate location of the 14 January 2017 Cebu Landslide. Google Maps.
The incident is reported to have happened following heavy rainfall in the area. Landslides are a common problem after severe weather events, as excess
pore water pressure can overcome cohesion in soil and sediments,
allowing them to flow like liquids. Approximately 90% of all landslides
are caused by heavy rainfall. Cebu has a wet and dry tropical climate, with a long rainy season that lasts from May to January. The worst of the rains are usually over by January, making this sort of even rare at this time of the year, but like other areas of Southeast Asia the Philippines has suffered a longer and wetter rainy season than usual this year, leading to extreme weather related events later than would usually be expected.
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