news of mudslides

[dave65]

having see the news of the mudslide i have found some news sites refer to Tacloban being affected if any of you you guys have been able to get more specific info i would like to know
since i am not able to contact Jasmine at all, and it appears to be her home area affected
cheers dave

[Eljohno]

Originally posted by dave65@Feb 17 2006, 09:57 AM
having see the news of the mudslide i have found some news sites refer to Tacloban being affected if any of you you guys have been able to get more specific info i would like to know
since i am not able to contact Jasmine at all, and it appears to be her home area affected
cheers dave

Quoted post

I just heard the news myself and all i know is that it is in Leyte but will search for more info....


John

[Eljohno]

Originally posted by dave65@Feb 17 2006, 09:57 AM
having see the news of the mudslide i have found some news sites refer to Tacloban being affected if any of you you guys have been able to get more specific info i would like to know
since i am not able to contact Jasmine at all, and it appears to be her home area affected
cheers dave

Quoted post

35 rescued, hundreds feared dead in S. Leyte landslide


At least 35 people were rescued after a massive landslide buried three villages in Saint Bernard town, Southern Leyte province, Friday.

A rescue worker said the next 24 hours would be crucial in pulling out survivors trapped underneath tons of mud and rock in Barangay Cabagawan, Sug-angon and Guinsaugon.

Initial reports said a large portion of a mountain in between Sogod and Saint Bernard towns buried at least 300 houses including two school buildings in the area.

"It sounded like the mountain exploded, and the whole thing crumbled. I could not see any house standing anymore," Survivor Dario Libatan told DZMM.

"It was like the whole barangay was wiped off the map," added Southern Leyte Rep. Roger Mercado.

Authorities said a minor earthquake and heavy rainfall might have caused the landslide.

Renato Solidum, Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology director, said a 2.6 magnitude earthquake hit the southwestern portion of Southern Leyte at 10:36 a.m. He said the quake was felt at intensity 2 in Sogod town.

"This earthquake could not have triggered a landslide alone. You need an intensity 7 to do that. Other factors were also present especially heavy rainfall. You only need 100mm of rainfall to trigger a landslide," he told ANC.

Officials said rainfall in Southern Leyte hit a record 500mm from February 1 to 16 due primarily to the La Niña phenomenon.

Mercado also blamed unchecked logging activities in the area for the disaster. He said he had informed environment authorities about the logging problem, which had been ongoing for the past 30 years.

Southern Leyte Gov. Rosette Y. Lerias said the landslide happened around 11:15 a.m. Many of the casualties were feared to be children as classes were going on in an area school when the disaster occurred.

Lerias said bodies have been retrieved in barangays Cabagawan, Sug-angon and Guinsaugon. PNRC officials earlier estimated the death toll at 200, with 1,500 residents still missing.

Lerias said most of the residents evacuated the area earlier this week but returned after the weather cleared up.

"The daytime has been sunny lately but the rains usually come at night so that's when the people evacuate. Unfortunately, the landslide happened in the daytime," she said.

Emergency teams from the National Disaster Coordinating Council, Philippine Army, Philippine National Police and the Southern Leyte provincial government have been deployed in the area, Lerias said.

Didita Kamarenta, who lives on a mountain next to one of the villages in Saint Bernard town in Leyte province, said the earth shook and there was a strong gust of wind.

"I felt mud at my feet. I heard someone outside screaming for help," she said on radio. "All the children, including my two children, are lost. They might have been buried."

Like much of Eastern Visayas, Southern Leyte has been experiencing continuous rainfall for the past two weeks, which experts attributed to the La Niña weather phenomenon.

Last Sunday a landslide hit Sogod municipality, also in Southern Leyte, where eight people died.

The Philippines is lashed by about 20 typhoons each year, including a series of storms in late 2004 that left about 1,800 people dead or missing in provinces northeast of the capital, Manila

[dave65]

just received an email from Jasmine she and her family are all ok her area has been flooded but otherwise ok

the loggers seemed to being blamed for making the problem worse
whilst i was out there i remember seeing that they have invoked the death penalty for illegal logging i can see why now

[Admin]

I bet a few Westerners have lost a fiancee or family though :( Seems likely over 1000 are dead, most will never be found.

I wouldn't mind if it happened to Washington!

[Joey]

Someone on another message board said his girlfriend is from that town. She and her brother are the only survivors from her entire family. Apparently, the town evacuated, but then people returned for festivals and such. His tag line now reads, "Seems that when some innocents die, all we can offer them is a page in some magazine. Too many cameras and not enough food..."