Thousands of people left homeless by deadly landslides in the central Philippines faced a miserable Christmas as rescue workers struggled yesterday to reach remote areas hit by torrential rains.
Mudslides and floods triggered by days of heavy rain have killed up to 209 people in this mostly Roman Catholic country, with scores more dead or missing after a series of weather-related accidents around the country.
The coastguard said a ferry carrying 75 passengers and crew that went missing last weekend was assumed to have sunk in the country's southwestern seas. Only 20 survivors have been found. Several fishing boats have also gone missing off the northern main island of Luzon.
In Southern Leyte province, the area worst-hit by landslides, officials said rescue services had cleared supply routes to some towns but that more remote areas remained inaccessible by road.
Andy Fuego, an official with the regional disaster coordinating council, said soldiers were trying to deliver supplies on foot to the village of San Ricardo, which was wiped out by a river of mud.
"Water is a problem there and because of the distance, help could not be extended to them. I was not able to go there yesterday because the roads are impassable," he said.
The disaster zones are near where 5,000 people died in 1991 when a typhoon unleashed massive floods around the city of Ormoc.
After the latest deadly landslides, questions were being asked about why authorities failed to repair the damage caused by rampant illegal logging in the surrounding hills.
About 10,000 people have evacuated to temporary shelters amid fears that rains could trigger more mudslides.
The UN has approved a US$50,000 emergency grant for the area and Secretary-General Kofi Annan said the world body would seek more aid. The US has donated 3 million pesos (US$54,000) as well as the use of all-weather helicopters and transport planes.
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