Philippines: Landslide, 25 people died, 100 people missing

At least 25 people were killed and 100 people were missing in southern Philippines today, after a terrible landslide, engulfing the community of gold miners.

Landslides occur in remote mountainous areas near the town of Pantukan, on Mindanao Island. The army sent a group of soldiers to the landslide scene to dig up buried houses, bringing the bodies of dead people out.

The Pantukan and the neighboring town of Monkayo ​​have attracted thousands of people to search for gold over the years and most illegal gold mining activities here have caused a series of fatal accidents.

Twenty-five bodies were removed from the rubble within five hours of the incident, but community leaders here said about 100 others are still missing.

Arturo Uy, Compostela Valley provincial governor, including the town of Pantukan, estimated the village population had landslides buried between 700-800 people.

Earlier, miners were warned about the risk of landslides. In 2009, a landslide also occurred near this gold digging community and also caused massive casualties.

'We asked them to leave the area in April and many people have left,' said Uy on GMA television.