By Clarist Mae Zablan
(April 5, 2025) – A team of experts from the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) will assist in searching for the four Filipinos who remain missing after a devastating earthquake struck Myanmar last week, the Philippines’ embassy in Yangon said on Friday.
The embassy added that the team from NBI’s Disaster Victim Identification Division (DVID) is set to arrive in Mandalay, where it will secure tissue samples from unidentified remains that were recovered under the rubble of a condominium complex. The four Filipinos are believed to have been trapped under the collapsed building.
“The NBI-DVID in Manila will also be collecting samples from the family members of the missing Filipinos in order to ascertain indubitable identity,” said the embassy in an advisory.
More than 3,300 have died and over 4,800 were injured due to the magnitude 7.7 earthquake. Around 220 are still missing.
The Philippines already sent an 89-member inter-agency humanitarian contingent to Myanmar to assist in the search and rescue efforts. The team arrived in the country on April 1 and 2.
The contingent is scheduled to return to the Philippines on April 12 but the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) said it is ready to deploy another team if needed.
“Filipinos in Myanmar who wish to repatriate can join our humanitarian contingent on their flight back home,” said OCD undersecretary Ariel Nepomuceno in a statement on Saturday.
He added that they remain hopeful that the missing Filipinos will be found alive.
“Please be assured that the Department of Foreign Affairs, the defense attache in the area, the Department of Migrant Workers, and our rescue teams are working closely with Myanmar authorities to locate our countrymen,” said Nepomuceno.
China, Russia, and Vietnam have also sent teams to assist Myanmar in the aftermath of the devastating calamity.
(PM)
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