Philippine villages at risk of landslides forcibly evacuated

NAGA, Philippines (AP) " Philippine troops and police have forcibly evacuated residents of five villages vulnerable to landslides after the collapse of a mountainside buried dozens of homes and killed at least 22 people in a central region.

Police Chief Superintendent Debold Sinas said Friday some residents had left on their own but the bulk of more than 1,200 villagers were forcibly moved by authorities Thursday night.

Survivors heard a thunderous roar, crashing and banging when the mountainside fell onto rural houses and shanties in Naga city on Thursday morning. Some trapped in the sludge managing to text pleas for help but the messages stopped within a few hours.

Authorities have limited the number of rescuers and other people inside the stricken villages, fearing heavy rains on the still-soaked ground could cause new slides.