Almost 2000 people may have lost their lives in a major landslide

which has engulfed an entire village in the central Philippines

Landslide disaster in Landslide disaster in the Philippines the Philippines

17.02.0617.02.06

VV ‘06

The fluid character of the slide means that it is correctly termed a mudslide

The Philippines are a group of islands (archipelago) which lie between China and Indonesia in the western Pacific Ocean.

ManillaManilla is the capital city of the Philippines

The disaster occurred on the island of Leyte

Most of the dead are in the farming community of Guinsaugon in the south of Leyte island

In places the mud which engulfed the village and its hundreds of homes is tens of metres deep.

Beneath the ‘toe’ of the slide lies a whole village – like the one in the foreground

The mud, carrying stones and boulders, completely wiped out the village. Buildings, including a school, were completely buried.

In places only the tops of coconut palms stick up through the metres of mud

The mudslide also swept flimsy buildings away

This woman is one of very few who have pulled alive from the mud

The army have been mobilised to help

…. but it is mainly bodies which they are

pulling from the mud

Why did this ‘slide’ happen?

In common with many landslides it can be explained by both physical and human factors

Physical factorsPhysical factors

• 200cm of rain fell in 10 days. This could be related to a La Nina event

• Underlying rock is impermeable• Steep terrain increased the speed of the flow• The area sits on a geological fault• A mild earth tremor (Richter scale 2.5) was

felt just before the slide• Coconut tress which clad the slopes are

shallow rooted

Human factorsHuman factors

• There is a history of illegal logging in the area

• Population pressures have led to upland areas being cleared for cultivation

• Deforestation was therefore an important factor

• Shallow rooted coconut palms have been widely planted

Rescue is difficult because….Rescue is difficult because….

• Heavy rain continues to fallHeavy rain continues to fall• The area is remote and not easily reached by The area is remote and not easily reached by

roadroad• There have been further small landslidesThere have been further small landslides• The mud is dangerous to ‘work’ inThe mud is dangerous to ‘work’ in• Relief helicopters cannot land nearby as their Relief helicopters cannot land nearby as their

‘downwash’ could trigger further slides ‘downwash’ could trigger further slides • Buildings below the mud have been shifted Buildings below the mud have been shifted

by the slideby the slide

“Aid workers in the Philippines failed to find any

more survivors on Saturday at the site of a village obliterated

by a massive mudslide. “BBC News Saturday, 18 February 2006, 15:53 GMT