Rescuers are picking through a sea of mud in search of survivors after a massive landslide buried 1,800 Philippine villagers, but officials conceded hope was all but lost.

More than 48 hours after a mountainside collapsed, sending a wall of mud and boulders crashing into the village of Guinsaugon, rescuers roped together for safety hunted in vain for survivors but found only a few bodies in the muck.

In Manila, Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo met with the National Disaster Coordinating Council. She expressed her gratitude for all the help offered by other countries around the world.

The Chairman of the Council, Avelino Cruz, said the situation in the affected area was "difficult."
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"The report from the ground is we cannot use heavy equipment because the ground is still moving and soft. So we have to dig manually with shovels and picks."

Weary search teams recovered more than a dozen bodies on Sunday. The confirmed death toll stood at 72, but was certain to jump.

In the town of St Bernard, officials held a mass burial for 50 unidentified bodies that were decomposing quickly in the tropical conditions.

President Arroyo has warned that the Philippines could face more landslides amid forecasts of further heavy rain and promised to help threatened areas adopt safety precautions.

Eleven villages near Guinsaugon have been evacuated.

(CRI.com February 20, 2006)