An elementary school, believed to have been packed with children at the time, was completely buried in the mudslide.
Local officials said the exact number of casualties was unclear with hundreds reported missing.
Roger Mercado, a local politician, said that as many as 2000 people might have died; but the office of civil defence said that figure could refer to those listed as missing.
"You can't find any standing structure," Mercado said, "it's very terrible."
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The government has ordered aid |
Survivor Didita Kamarenta told local radio how the mud quickly swept through the area without warning.
"I felt the earth shake and a strong gust of wind, then I felt mud at my feet," she said. "All the children, including my two children, are lost. They might have been buried." Villagers have been scrambling to
Aid efforts
Ignacio Bunye, spokesman for President Gloria Arroyo, said rescue and relief teams were being sent to the scene, adding he hoped the private sector would contribute to the relief effort.
The military said it had dispatched helicopters to the area to survey the disaster and help with rescue efforts, while the Red Cross was planning to dispatch sniffer dogs to the area to attempt to find any survivors.
find the dead and injured
The
The worst disaster in recent times occurred in
Sixteen people were killed earlier this week when heavy rains and flash floods hit southeastern provinces.
Environmental groups blame illegal logging for making the flooding worse.
Farmers and government agencies have been warned to prepare for heavy rains and flash floods from a stormy
Source: Agencies
Güncelleme Tarihi: 20 Eylül 2018, 18:16