A rain-soaked mountainside disintegrated into a torrent of mud on Friday, burying hundreds of houses and an elementary school in the eastern Philippines. Ten people were confirmed dead, and at least 1,500 were missing.

Rescue helicopters, two navy ships and a military transport plane carrying sniffer dogs rushed to Leyte island, about 420 miles southeast of Manila, said Anthony Golez, deputy administrator of the Office of Civil Defense. About 200 rescuers were trying to dig out survivors.

Officials were still trying to determine how many people were killed.

Rosette Lerias, the governor of Southern Leyte province, said at least 500 houses were buried in Guinsahugon village in St. Bernard town, but officials could only confirm that 10 people died. The mudslide rushed over an elementary school that was in session.

Sen. Richard Gordon, head of the Philippine Red Cross, said 1,500 people were missing and 200 people might be dead.

Eva Tomol, a member of the provincial governing board, said only three houses remained standing in the village, about 420 miles southeast of the Philippine capital, Manila. Twelve survivors, including five schoolchildren, were being treated at a hospital, she said.

She said 1,000 of the 2,500 residents were feared missing.

Lerias said an area of about 0.4 square mile was covered in thick, unstable mud, making rescue operations difficult.

She said many residents had evacuated the area last week because of landslide and flood threats, but had started returning as the days got sunnier, with rains limited to evening downpours.

Rep. Roger Mercado, who represents Southern Leyte, said mud covered coconut trees and damaged the national highway leading to the village. "It was really so sudden," he said.

In November 1991, about 6,000 people were killed on Leyte in floods and landslides triggered by a tropical storm.

Last weekend, seven road construction workers died in a landslide after falling into a 150-foot ravine in the mountain town of Sogod on Leyte.

PHOTO CAPTION

Rescuers carry a victim after a landslide in Leyte province in this February 17, 2006 video grab. (REUTERS)