Philippine officials said Saturday that 11 villages in Southern Leyte where a landslide buried a village on Friday have been evacuated and seven centers have been set up in Saint Bernard township, where the landslide took place, to shelter the evacuees.

Officials participating in an emergency meeting on landslide held by President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo told reporters that the evacuation was made in fear that more landslide could strike in the region, which is known for faulty geological structure, according to experts.

Heavy rainfalls triggered by the La Nina weather, and possibly a mild earthquake, also contributed to Friday's devastation which buried a village alive with hundreds, if not thousands of people inside.

Arroyo held the emergency meeting to hear the reports of officials from different government agencies under the National Disaster Coordination Council (NDCC).

The NDCC said so far 22 bodies have been found and 53 rescued from the huge burial ground four kilometers long and half a kilometers wide with 30 feet thick mud and rocks.

Officials said at least 1,500 could have been buried under the mud and are feared dead.

The U.S. Charge d'Affaires Paul Jones also attended the still on-going meeting after the U.S. military said it could look into the assistance it could provide to the disaster rescue and relief operation.

Source: Xinhua