PHILIPPINES: Villagers devastated by Philippines mudslides search for their missing loved ones as they await aid

Tens of thousands of villagers affected by mudslides in the central Philippines following a typhoon awaited emergency supplies at local evacuation centres, but so far there has been very little help from the outside world. Officials fear up to 600 have been killed after landslides triggered by torrential rain and winds of up to 225 kph (140 mph) gushed through villages, burying entire communities and entombing locals in their homes. Soldiers, miners and locals, some using their bare hands, continued to pull corpses and body parts from areas surrounding Mount Mayon, about 320 km (200 miles) south of Manila. There was little hope of finding anyone alive under the fetid sludge. But 38-year-old Rosemarie Marigondon Manjares says she still has hope. While her five children and husband survived the disaster, she is desperately searching for her four nieces and brother. "We cannot find the remains of our missing family. We do not even have pictures to show you," she said. Chances may be slim in finding them in the disaster which struck on Thursday (November 30), but Manjares and her sister Merla Marigondon continue to clear the debris from what little remains of their home, and pray for a miracle. "We do not know if they are still alive or gone. We appeal for help. Anybody please help us. We want to see our missing brother and nieces," Merla said, sobbing. The National Disaster Coordinating Council said 309 people had been killed due to landslides, flooding and flying debris and 298 were still missing across the central Bicol region. In worst-hit Albay province, unembalmed corpses littered the streets and, amidst the stench of rotting flesh, survivors were forced to pile the dead into mass plots. More than 800,000 people were affected by the typhoon, which triggered flooding so intense some people, vainly clinging onto coconut trees, were washed out to sea. Thousands are still without food, electricity and fresh water after nearly 120,000 homes were damaged, communication lines uprooted and fruit trees, rice paddies and irrigation systems destroyed. Durian, one notch below a category 5 "super typhoon" when it hit the Philippines, later weakened to a category 1 typhoon over the South China Sea and was expected to cross Vietnam's coast next week, potentially disrupting the coffee harvest. Residents around Mayon thought they had escaped catastrophe in September when the volcano subsided after months of spewing lava and rocks, raising fears of a major eruption and forcing thousands of residents to evacuate. The debris left behind proved deadly when Durian struck. Once lively villages were reduced to sticks and roofs protruding from the mud. Thousands of survivors crammed into schools and churches as disaster agencies called for fresh water, food and medicine. Named after a pungent Asian fruit, Durian was the fourth typhoon to hit the Philippines in three months. Forecasters expect one more before the end of the year. In September, 213 people were killed when Typhoon Xangsane battered the north and centre of the country, leaving millions without electricity or running water for days. Xangsane also killed dozens in Vietnam. Some villagers in the central Philippines fled their communities in panic on Sunday (December 3) after rumours of a tsunami sent shockwaves through mudslide-affected areas. In Albay Province thousands of people fled the coastal area on foot and in cars, buses and motorbikes with their families, causing severe traffic jams and chaos. "All of the people are running, water from Mayon is near the city now," said distraught resident, Joecelyn Duarte. Authorities later denied that a tsunami had been detected and urged residents to remain calm. "Thousands of people were scared. They reacted by fleeing, by running away. Even some of the bus companies were evacuating their buses. It was really a scary thing for so many people," said Albay Governor, Fernando Gonzales. The National Disaster Coordinating Council said 309 people had been killed due to landslides, flooding and flying debris and 298 were still missing across the central Bicol region. Residents flocked to petrol stations to fill up on gas and called on authorities to do more to get emergency supplies to them. "Help is not reaching us. The government should send us support. We have nothing. Our house is gone," said resident Evelyn Base, while waiting in a long queue at a petrol station. Meanwhile, distraught survivors, many clutching handkerchiefs to suppress the stench of rotting flesh, clambered through the rubble of their homes to try and find loved ones.

ITN Source | December 3, 2006

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