Two U.S. marines helicopters were dispatched on Thursday to search for members of a rescue team from Taiwan who were stranded in Guinsaugon, the massive landslide site.

The seven Taiwan rescuers were conducting retrieval operation when heavy rains fell and flooded parts of the landslide-stricken village, according to DZMM radio reports here.

They radioed for help, saying they cannot find their way back to the command center by the river due to floods and heavy rains.

The two U.S. Chinook helicopters searching for the stranded rescuers were also hampered by rains and low visibility.

As no signs of life detected in the past 48 hours, the rescue effort under way at Guinsaugon is becoming a search for up to 1, 400 dead bodies, although the officials have yet to formally conclude that no one could still be alive under hundreds of tons of mud and rock.

Source: Xinhua