U.S. joins landslide effort
GUINSAUGON, Philippines – Several dozen U.S. Marines dug through mud with Philippine search teams Sunday at the site of a massive landslide as the prospect of finding survivors faded.
The men were part of a 1,000-strong Marine contingent aboard the USS Essex and the USS Harper’s Ferry, which sailed to the coast of Southern Leyte province after the Philippines asked Washington to divert some forces that recently arrived for joint military exercises.
They hopped onto a bulldozer that carried them across a shallow stream and to the 100-acre stretch of mud that covered the farming village of Guinsaugon after the side of a neighboring mountain collapsed Friday.
The men used shovels, as did Philippine troops and volunteers, out of concern that heavier equipment could cause the unstable mud to shift.
“Safety is a big concern,” said Capt. Jeff O’Donnell, of New Orleans, who said that, while his home was destroyed in Hurricane Katrina, “This is my first time to see anything like this.”
By the end of the day, about 200 Marines were on the ground, with hundreds more expected to come ashore today.
U.S. Marine 1st Lt. Edward Rushing spoke with the highest-ranking Philippine military officer at the scene, Lt. Col. Raul Farnacio, who said he would need mining equipment. The Americans also set up a water purification system and were working on another.
Some 1,800 people – most of the population of Guinsaugon – were feared dead in the landslide that followed two weeks of heavy rains.
Security is a concern for the Marines because communist guerrillas are active on Leyte island. The New People’s Army rebels, who have been waging a Marxist rebellion since the late 1960s, are on U.S. and European lists of terrorist organizations.
The rebels said Sunday they won’t attack the American troops, but warned them not to stray into rebel zones or commit provocative acts.
“We are under the protection of the Philippine military,” said O’Donnell. “We are only assisting the Philippine government at their invitation.”