At Least 25 Killed In Philippines Landslide

MOSCOW (RIA Novosti) - At least 25 people have been killed and many others remain buried in rubble after a landslide in a mining area in the Philippines’ southern Mindanao region, regional media reported.

The landslide hit the gold-rich village of Panganason in the early hours of Thursday, the Philippine Star said on its website, quoting a police official.

Rescuers have recovered 25 bodies from the rubble, with 15 people still missing, the official said.

Civil defense chief Benito Ramos was quoted by AFP as saying some 100 people remained unaccounted for. The figure is based on village officials’ accounts, he said.

Between 700 and 800 people are believed to reside in the stricken village.

Rescuers have hard time in reaching the area due to its unfriendly terrain, reports said.

The region where the disaster occurred saw devastating floods last month triggered by a tropical storm which killed more than 1,250 people.