BBC NEWS | In Pictures | In pictures: Philippines mudslide

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Friday, 17 February 2006, 14:03 GMT

In pictures: Philippines mudslide

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This woman is one of few people pulled out alive after a massive mudslide buried an entire village in the central Philippines.

General view of mudslide area

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The mudslide followed 10 days of heavy rains, and a reported minor earthquake.

Rescue workers at the scene of the mudslide

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Television images showed a wide swathe of mud where houses once stood in Guinsaugon, in the town of St Bernard on the island of Leyte.

Survivor at the scene

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Only 83 people have been found alive, and 19 dead, but Red Cross and military officials say between 1,500 and 2,500 may still be buried.

Rescue operations at the scene

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President Gloria Arroyo has ordered the coast guard and navy to the island of Leyte, and a US vessel is on the way.

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Rescue workers and volunteers dug with shovels for survivors, but their efforts were halted by fears of further slides.

Survivor at the scene

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An army captain, leading a team of 30 rescuers, said his soldiers were sinking into the mud.

A survivor at the scene

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President Arroyo has urged her compatriots to "pray for those who perished and were affected by this tragedy".

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Related to this story:
Mud wipes out Philippines village (17 Feb 06 | Asia-Pacific )
Country profile: The Philippines (03 Jan 06 | Country profiles )