At least 90 people are feared dead in landslides triggered by six days of rains in the in the central Philippines after 35 bodies were found with scores still missing today.
Government officials said most of the people were asleep when the landslides hit the San Francisco and Liloan towns in Southern Leyte province late last night.
Four people were injured when their houses collapsed and 83 were still missing, they said.
Disaster officials said a dozen people were also killed in landslides and flash floods triggered by the rains in the southern island of Mindanao, adjacent to Leyte island.
About 300 people were evacuated to safer areas in Southern Leyte after troops rushed to the disaster zone to rescue victims trapped under tonnes of mud and debris dumped from the nearby hills, officials said.
"This is the worst experience we have had in years," said Ms Rosette Lerias, governor of the province. She said bad weather, blocked roads and a power outage in the region were hampering rescue work.
Ms Lerias said soldiers had reached only one of the two affected areas after trekking for many miles.
"We really have no idea of the magnitude of the disaster because the weather has kept us from moving and inspecting other areas," she said.
Heavy rains and strong winds had made it difficult for two military helicopters to fly to the disaster areas from a nearby airbase in Cebu island, an official said.