Southern Leyte mudslide

Southern Leyte mudslide

Saint Bernard within Southern Leyte.

Map showing area of mudslides

On February 17, 2006, a series of mudslides caused widespread damage and loss of life in the Philippine province of Southern Leyte. The deadly landslides followed a ten-day period of heavy rains and a minor earthquake of magnitude 2.6 on the Richter scale. Fifty people are confirmed dead, but with 958 people still missing the death toll is expected to rise dramatically.^[1] Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (3225x2141, 4716 KB) Beschreibung Source: http://www. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (3225x2141, 4716 KB) Beschreibung Source: http://www. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (1632x2464, 676 KB) Beschreibung Source: http://www. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (1632x2464, 676 KB) Beschreibung Source: http://www. ... Image File history File links Ph_locator_southern_leyte_saint_bernard. ... Image File history File links Ph_locator_southern_leyte_saint_bernard. ... Southern Leyte is a province of the Philippines located in the Eastern Visayas region. ... Image File history File links Mudslide_area. ... Image File history File links Mudslide_area. ... is the 48th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about landslides of mud; a mudslide is also an alcoholic drink. ... Map of the Philippines showing the regions and provinces (click for larger version). ... Southern Leyte is a province of the Philippines located in the Eastern Visayas region. ... An earthquake is the result of a sudden release of stored energy in the Earths crust that creates seismic waves. ... The Richter magnitude test scale (or more correctly local magnitude ML scale) assigns a single number to quantify the size of an earthquake. ... A death toll is the number of dead as a result of war, violence, accident, natural disaster, extreme weather, or disease. ...

Overview of disaster

The municipality of Saint Bernard was one of the worst hit areas, where twenty-three are confirmed to be dead with up to 200 estimated as dead and another 1,500 missing. Barangay Guinsaugon, a mountain village on the said municipality with 2,500 people, was almost completely destroyed. Judiciary Supreme Court Chief Justice Reynato Puno Court of Appeals · Sandiganbayan Court of Tax Appeals · Ombudsman Elections Commission on Elections 2007 | 2004 | 2001 | 1998 1995 | 1992 | 1987 | 1986 | All Foreign relations Government Website Human rights Other countries Atlas  Politics Portal      A municipality (bayan, sometimes munisipyo, in Tagalog) is a local... St. ... A barangay (Tagalog: baranggay , pronounced as ba-rang-gai, gai as in guy), also known by its former name, the barrio, is the smallest local government unit in the Philippines and is the native Filipino term for a village, district or ward. ... Guinsaugon is a farming village in the Philippines that was almost completely destroyed by the 2006 Southern Leyte mudslide. ...

A local elementary school was buried during one of the landslides which occurred between 9 a.m. and 10 a.m. when the school was in session and full of children. Provincial Governor Rosette Lerias said that, at the time, the school had 246 students and 7 teachers, and, as of 17 February, only one child and one adult have been rescued. There were also about 100 people visiting the village for a women's group meeting. is the 48th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ...

Governor Lerias said that although several residents had left the area last week due to the fear of landslides, several of them had returned when the rains had eased.

On February 14, 2006, Governor Lerias placed the town of Sogod under a state of calamity. is the 45th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Sogod is a 4th class municipality in the province of Southern Leyte, Philippines. ...

Rescue and relief

Rescue teams including troops from the military are operating in the affected areas. However, relief efforts are hampered by rain, chest-deep mud, roads blocked by boulders, washed-out bridges and lack of heavy equipment. A minor earthquake in the morning of February 17, 2006 also affected the relief operation as the ground and mud remain unstable. is the 48th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo made an address on television promising that "help is on the way". Navy and coast guard ships were dispatched to the coastal area.^[1] PRESIDENT OF THE PHILIPPINES Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo (born April 5, 1947), also known by her initials GMA, is the current and 14th President of the Republic of the Philippines. ...

On February 17, 2006 Philippine National Red Cross chairman Richard J. Gordon who was then in Geneva attending a boardmeeting of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement appealed for international assistance. He raised US $1.5 million to help the victims of the mudslides. The funds will be used to purchase tents, blankets, cooking utensils, mosquito nets, temporary shelter materials, hygiene articles, water purification tablets and medicines. US $152,000 has already been released to provide initial assistance. A relief plane was being flown into the region carrying emergency trauma kits, rubber boots, ropes, clothing, flashlights and medicine. Three Philippines National Red Cross teams with search and rescue dogs were at the site to provide assistance and more are expected to join.^[2] The Red Cross said that it feared that the death toll would be high.^[1] is the 48th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... For other persons of the same name, see Richard Gordon. ... The Red Cross and the Red Crescent emblems, the symbols from which the Movement derives its name. ... Tracking dogs follow ground scent The use of dogs in search and rescue (SAR) is a valuable component in responding to law enforcement requests for missing persons. ...

The United States has sent two naval vessels, the USS Essex and the USS Harpers Ferry from the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, to the area to provide assistance.^[1] About 6,000 U.S. Army and Marine Corps troops are in the Philippines for an annual bilateral exercise^[3]. The US government has also donated $100,000 worth of disaster equipment to the Philippine Red Cross. USAID has turned over 2.9 million pesos (about $560,000) worth of food and non-food items.^[4] USS Essex (LHD-2) is a Wasp-class amphibious assault ship commissioned in 1992. ... USS Harpers Ferry (LSD-49) is a Harpers Ferry-class dock landing ship of the United States Navy. ... The 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit (31st MEU) is one of seven Marine Expeditionary Units currently in existence in the United States Marine Corps. ... The United States Army is the largest and oldest branch of the armed forces of the United States. ... The United States Marine Corps (USMC) is a branch of the United States military responsible for providing power projection from the sea,[1] utilizing the mobility of the U.S. Navy to rapidly deliver combined-arms task forces. ... The United States Agency for International Development (or USAID) is the US government organization responsible for most non-military foreign aid. ...

Other countries have donated or pledged assistance to the Philippine government. China offered a donation of $1 million in cash and material. Australia also offered AUS$1 million ($740,000) in immediate relief. Taiwan pledged enough medicine to treat 3,000 individuals for a month and a half along with $100,000. Thailand also pledged $100,000. Malaysia sent a 60-man search-and-rescue and medical assistance team named the Special Malaysia Disaster Assistance Team (SMART). Spain, through a non-government organization, the Unidad Canina de Rescate y Salvamento, sent a six-man rescue team equipped with five sniffer dogs to aid in the relief and rescue efforts.^[4]. South Korea promised $1 million. New Zealand would send $133,000 to be used in future rescue operations. Singapore has said, according to a statement from Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, that officials would help the Arroyo administration in any way possible. Indonesia and Turkey have humanitarian contingents as well. !-- Spelling: UK --> For the TV series of this title, see Search and Rescue (TV series). ... A non-governmental organization (NGO) is an organization which is not a part of a government. ... A detection dog getting ready to search a car for explosives. ...

The Philippine Red Cross reported that 53 persons were rescued from the mud on 17 February, but the rescue efforts had to be suspended at nightfall for safety reasons.^[3] is the 48th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ...

The area is still being threatened by further flash floods and rising rivers due to the heavy rainfall in the past few weeks.

Reactions

According to the Korean Central News Agency, Kim Young Nam had offered his sympathies to the Arroyo administration, saying that he "expressed sympathy to the dead, bereaved family members and residents of affected areas". The Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) is the state news agency of North Korea and has existed since December 5, 1946. ...

The KCNA had also reported that he was confident that Arroyo would bring stability to the affected areas.

Possible causes

Philippine congressman Roger Mercado of Southern Leyte claimed in a Reuters interview that logging and mining done in the area three decades ago was the main culprit.^[5]Dave Petley, professor at the International Landslide Centre, Durham University, told the BBC that the causes Congressman Mercado mentioned, if proven true, created a "dangerous combination" that produced a "classic landslide scenario". ^[6] Reuters Group plc (LSE: RTR and NASDAQ: RTRSY); pronounced is known as a financial market data provider and a news service that provides reports from around the world to newspapers and broadcasters. ... Affiliations 1994 Group European University Association Association of MBAs EQUIS Universities UK N8 Group Association of Commonwealth Universities Website http://www. ... For other uses, see BBC (disambiguation). ...

However, local government officials and eyewitnesses say that the area was well forested and the governor's office said that deforestation logging activities were not the causal factor. ^[6]

Experts did agree that torrential rains lasting two weeks before the mudslide was the main cause for the disaster. Rainfall amounting to over 200cm (79 inches) in ten days loosened the soil so much that the resulting sludge and rocks thundered down the slopes of nearby Mount Can-abag, virtually disintegrating it. The La Niña weather phenomenon was blamed for the non-stop rains that occurred in the province, as well as in the Caraga region, which is due south of Leyte. San Francisco, Agusan del Sur mayor Carie Ladernora declared the state of calamity on her town by February 12, 2006. El Niño is also the nickname of Sergio García. ... For the municipality in the province of Davao Oriental, see Caraga, Davao Oriental Caraga is an administrative region of the Philippines, on the northeastern portion of the island of Mindanao. ... San Francisco is a 2nd class municipality in the province of Agusan del Sur, Philippines. ... is the 43rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology recorded a magnitude 2.6 earthquake in Southern Leyte just prior to the landslide although the effects of this are unclear.^[6]

Similar incidents

A landslide also occurred on December 2003, burying the town of San Francisco, Southern Leyte and killing up to 200 people. San Francisco is a 5th class municipality in the province of Southern Leyte, Philippines. ...

On 11 July 2000, a garbage slide triggered by strong rains killed 193 people in northern Quezon City. is the 192nd day of the year (193rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2000 (MM) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full 2000 Gregorian calendar). ... Nickname: Map of Metro Manila showing the location of Quezon City Coordinates: 14°38 N, 121°2 E Country Philippines Region National Capital Region Districts 1st to 4th districts of Quezon City Barangays 142 Incorporated (town) October 12, 1939 (as Balintawak) Incorporated (city) October 12, 1939 Government  - Mayor Feliciano Sonny...

In 1991, Tropical Storm Thelma triggered massive floods in the island of Leyte killing more than 5,000 people.^[1] Year 1991 (MCMXCI) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the 1991 Gregorian calendar). ... Tropical Storm Thelma (Pagasa name: Uring) was the deadliest tropical storm of the 1991 Pacific typhoon season, killing more than 6,000 people as it crossed the Philippines. ... Leyte (pronounced LAY-teh or LAY-tee) is an island in the Visayas group of the Philippines. ...

Mining operations

Religious leaders and civil authorities suspect that mining interests are behind the Southern Leyte tragedy.

The Supreme Court decision December last year reversing its earlier ruling concerning the legality of the Mining Act of 1995 has paved the way for U.S. and other foreign mining corporations to claim mining rights in the country, the report of the recently-concluded International Solidarity Mission (ISM) said. These corporations have particularly penetrated Samar and Leyte, islands in central Philippines which are rich in bauxite, nickel and copper.

The Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) lists two mining companies which have an ongoing exploration in the region, particularly in Southern Leyte: The Buena Suerte Mining Corporation, which explores the areas near San Francisco, San Ricardo, Pintuyan and Liloan (6,611.59 has.) and Orophilippine Ventures, Inc., which explores Sogod, Liloan, St. Bernard and Libagon. Gold, silver, and other associated minerals can be mined in these areas.

May 2006 mudslide

Sogod within Southern Leyte.

Due to Typhoon Chanchu (Philippine name: Caloy), flash floods and mudslides isolated at least 11 barangays in Sogod, Southern Leyte. No casualties were reported.^[7] Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Southern Leyte is a province of the Philippines located in the Eastern Visayas region. ... Cyclone Catarina, a rare South Atlantic tropical cyclone viewed from the International Space Station on March 26, 2004. ... Wikinews has news related to: Hurricane season, 2006 The 2006 Pacific typhoon season has no official bounds; it runs year-round in 2006, but most tropical cyclones tend to form in the northwestern Pacific Ocean between May and November. ... A barangay (Tagalog: baranggay , pronounced as ba-rang-gai, gai as in guy), also known by its former name, the barrio, is the smallest local government unit in the Philippines and is the native Filipino term for a village, district or ward. ... Sogod is a 4th class municipality in the province of Southern Leyte, Philippines. ...

Notes

There is no mining or exploration activity in Southern Leyte in the vicinity of the landslide area. The cause of the landslide is definitely the continuous heavy rain and the geology of the area. It lies along the Philippine Fault System. The ground and bedrock cannot sustain the heavy load brought about by the rain, even if it is covered by forest because the underlying rocks are highly fractured and weak. After being oversaturated, the weak shaking of the ground and the natural pull of gravity triggered the massive landslide that buried the village of Guinsaugon.

is the 48th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 48th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... [[Media:Italic text]]{| style=float:right; |- | |- | |} is the 50th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 48th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 48th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Philippine Daily Inquirer logo. ... is the 132nd day of the year (133rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

References

• 1500 Missing in Village Mudslide - CBC Dean Bernardo 17 February 2006
• Philippine rescuers find bodies - BBC News 19 February 2006
• Philippine rescue teams find more bodies - MSNBC 19 February 2006
• Hope fades for villagers in Philippine mudslide horror - The Observer John Aglionby, 19 February 2006
• Hundreds Missing in Philippine Landslide - DMRG 17 February 2006
• Landslide triggers avalanche of international aid - Philippine Daily Inquirer 19 February 2006
• Mudslide buries Filipino village - CNN 18 February 2006
• Mud wipes out Philippines village - BBC News 17 February 2006
• What caused Philippines landslide? - BBC News 17 February 2006
• Caraga region under state of calamity - SunStar News 12 February 2006
• North Korean leader offers condolences to landslide victims - Philippine Daily Inquirer 22 February 2006

The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC), a Canadian crown corporation, is the country’s national public radio and television broadcaster. ... is the 48th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... BBC News is the department within the BBC responsible for the corporations news-gathering and production of news programmes on BBC television, radio and online. ... [[Media:Italic text]]{| style=float:right; |- | |- | |} is the 50th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... MSNBC, a combination of MSN and NBC, is a 24-hour cable news channel in the United States and Canada, and a news website. ... [[Media:Italic text]]{| style=float:right; |- | |- | |} is the 50th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ... [[Media:Italic text]]{| style=float:right; |- | |- | |} is the 50th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 48th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Philippine Daily Inquirer logo. ... [[Media:Italic text]]{| style=float:right; |- | |- | |} is the 50th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Cable News Network, commonly known as CNN, is a major cable television network founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. ... is the 49th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 48th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 48th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 43rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Philippine Daily Inquirer logo. ... is the 53rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

External links

• St. Bernard, Leyte from Google Maps