Philippines landslide death toll hits 123, frantic searches for survivors

Eighty six of the casualties were in Baybay, a mountainous area prone to landslides in Leyte province, where 236 people were also injured, the city government said in a report.

Three others drowned in different provinces, while six people were still missing, the national disaster agency said.

"The search, rescue and retrieval operations will continue," a Philippine Army infantry unit in Baybay said on Facebook.

Aerial photographs and video from the local government showed collapsed slopes, burying coconut plantations and houses in dirt and mud. In one area, rescuers had to use rubber boats to reach a landslide.

The district of Kantagnos had been "greatly devastated", an army engineering and construction battalion on Leyte said on Facebook. "Homes and livelihoods have been damaged, families and individuals are missing and communication have been unstable," said the post.

More than 162,000 displaced residents are sheltering in evacuation centres, while a further 41,000 are living with relatives, government data showed.

(Post online media)