At least 25 dead in south Philippines mining landslide
LONDON. January 5. KAZINFORM At least 25 people have been killed and 100 more are missing after a landslide struck a mining village in the southern Philippines, officials say; Kazinform refers to BBC.
The landslide occurred at about 3:00 a.m. on Thursday morning (19:00 GMT Wednesday) in Pantukan, Compostela Valley province, on Mindanao island.
Civil defence chief Benito Ramos told the BBC it was triggered by "continuous rain" over two days.
A nearby village was also hit by a landslide last year that left 14 dead.
"A military unit is in the area but they are basically digging with their hands," Mr Ramos told the AFP news agency.
He said that a request for heavy equipment from the provincial government and local mining firms had been made to help speed up the rescue.
Small-scale miner Saul Pinggoy said he was woken up by rocks falling onto the roofs of houses; Kazinform cites BBC.
To learn more go to www.bbc.co.uk