Rescue and relief operations resumed Saturday morning in St. Bernard, Southern Leyte, for hundreds and possibly thousands of villagers buried under 30-feet thick mud after a landslide devastated an entire village Friday, with little hope to find more survivors.

The National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC) said 19 bodies have already been recovered, while a total of 53 people were rescued.

But officials said hope to find more survivors under the mud and debris looks dim, as the rescue operation is going on extremely slow due to bad weather, thick mud and lack of equipment.

The NDCC said so far no new bodies or survivors have been found, although a local radio report said earlier eight more bodies have been retrieved Saturday morning.

Authorities said at least 1,500 people could have been buried by the landslide and nearly all of them are still missing and could be dead. Some officials estimate the figure could be as high as 3,000.

Officials said it is very difficult to conduct the rescue operation as the village was reduced to a burial ground of 300 feet of mud stretching four kilometers long and half a kilometer wide.

"The disaster area is as big as a big airport," said Dodie Hernandez, liaison officer of Representative Roger Mercado of Southern Leyte.

Southern Leyte Governor Rosette Lerias is herself conducting the search and rescue, evacuation and relief operations in the disaster site, reported the local television network ABS-CBN News.

Among those involved are rescue teams from the Philippine Air Force (PAF), the National Police, the Department of Public Works and Highways and the provincial disaster coordinating councils of Bohol and Cebu, and additional rescue workers from Manila and Cebu, said the television report.

The Red Cross as well as the health and social welfare departments are also sending relief goods and other supplies to St. Bernard, while the Philippine Air Force said a C-130 plane loaded with relief goods including vital medicines from government agencies and private groups would be dispatched to St. Bernard in the afternoon, said the report.

Source: Xinhua