Hundreds swept to their deaths

2006-12-01 10:42

Legaspi, Philippines - Around 200 people were swept to their deaths and hundreds more were feared dead on Friday after rivers of mud and volcanic ash swamped villages in the eastern Philippines, officials said.

The mudslides triggered by super typhoon Durian's torrential rains reached as high as rooftops as they poured down from Mount Mayon volcano, around 350km southeast of Manila, witnesses said.

Rescue teams were hampered by blocked roads and swollen rivers as they tried to reach many of the villages around the still active volcano.

"We do not have exact figures, but we are looking at about 200 dead ... principally in the vicinity of Mayon volcano," said Glenn Rabonza, executive officer of the national disaster co-ordinating council.

He said rescuers were concentrating efforts "to save lives" and were less concerned about counting bodies.

The estimate came as the toll of confirmed fatalities from the mudslides in the Bicol region, south of Manila, continued to rise.

The head of the Philippine Red Cross, Senator Richard Gordon, said that 146 people were confirmed dead with 75 missing or trapped on rooftops.

Legaspi City mayor Noel Rosal said they would need at least 200 body bags.

Elsewhere in the Philippines, at least one person was killed in the town of Canaman after being hit by a piece of metal roofing blown off by the gale force winds, the civil defence office added.

Rescue efforts Friday were being hampered by storm damage which knocked out electricity, telephone lines and even water services across much of the Bicol peninsula which includes Legaspi and Daraga.

Around 30 000 residents of villages on the slopes of Mayon had been forced to evacuate in August when the volcano showed signs of erupting. They returned home in September after it simmered down.

- AFP