Rescuers are picking through a sea of mud in search of survivors
after a massive landslide buried 1,800 Philippine villagers, but
officials conceded hope was all but lost.
More than 48 hours after a mountainside collapsed, sending a
wall of mud and boulders crashing into the village of Guinsaugon,
rescuers roped together for safety hunted in vain for survivors but
found only a few bodies in the muck.
In Manila, Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo met with
the National Disaster Coordinating Council. She expressed her
gratitude for all the help offered by other countries around the
world.
The Chairman of the Council, Avelino Cruz, said the situation in
the affected area was "difficult."
?
"The report from the ground is we cannot use heavy equipment
because the ground is still moving and soft. So we have to dig
manually with shovels and picks."
Weary search teams recovered more than a dozen bodies on Sunday.
The confirmed death toll stood at 72, but was certain to jump.
In the town of St Bernard, officials held a mass burial for 50
unidentified bodies that were decomposing quickly in the tropical
conditions.
President Arroyo has warned that the Philippines could face more
landslides amid forecasts of further heavy rain and promised to
help threatened areas adopt safety precautions.
Eleven villages near Guinsaugon have been evacuated.
(CRI.com February 20, 2006)
