CEBU, Dec 20: Almost 100 people were killed or feared dead after landslides hit the central Philippine island of Leyte on Friday night.

Rosete Lerias, governor of Southern Leyte province, said 13 people had been confirmed dead and another 85 were missing and feared dead after landslides brought on by heavy rains hit several towns. Lerias said more than 250 people had been rescued from the disaster sites.

Military and relief officials are in the affected areas with heavy equipment to search for the missing, civil defence officials said.

Social Welfare Secretary Corazon Soliman said that her office had confirmed 19 dead, but would not yet say how many were believed buried, adding that some of the missing may have simply fled and not reported in.—AFP