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January 17, 2026 | 3:50pm
Local authorities in Matnog, Sorsogon recover the remains of two victims buried by a landslide that struck minutes past midnight on Saturday, Jan. 17, 2026.
BFP R5 Matnog Fire Station 2.0 via Facebook
MANILA, Philippines — Two people were killed after a landslide buried them in Matnog, Sorsogon, on Saturday, January 17, authorities reported.
In a Facebook post, the Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (MDRRMO) confirmed that the two victims were recovered during "extremely challenging" search and rescue operations in Barangay Bariis, Matnog, conducted Saturday morning.
“It took nearly five hours to retrieve the two bodies, which were buried beneath a large boulder following the landslide,” the MDRRMO said, noting that the victims were asleep when the landslide occurred.
The landslide struck as heavy rains and strong winds from Tropical Storm "Ada" battered Sorsogon, causing a large boulder to fall from the mountain, according to the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) in Matnog.
Local officials immediately responded to reports of a landslide at around 2:52 a.m., with initial findings indicating that the incident occurred shortly after midnight.
The first victim’s body was recovered at 6:30 a.m., followed by the second at around 7 a.m. The victims were identified as a 22-year-old man and a 19-year-old woman. Their remains were immediately turned over to authorities and then to a funeral parlor in coordination with their families.
Due to the tropical storm, state weather bureau PAGASA placed several areas in Sorsogon under Wind Signal No. 1 and 2, forecasting 100 to 200 millimeters of rain until January 18, and warning of widespread flooding and landslides in vulnerable areas.
Ada is forecast to move northwestward, then shift northward and northeastward on Sunday, looping over the waters east of Southern Luzon with the potential of gaining strength. Multiple areas in Luzon remain under the highest wind warning, Signal No. 2. It is expected to weaken into a tropical depression by January 20.
