The Philippine National Red Cross team from Negros who had joined the rescue operations in Guinsaugon, Southern Leyte, following a landslide that left hundreds buried beneath a sea of mud, are on their way home, their team leader Jose Antonio Mabayag said yesterday.

The search for survivors in Guinsaugon officially ended Friday night, and soldiers and volunteers are now focusing on the retrieval of bodies, Mabayag said.

The PNRC Negros is sending another team to help in rehabilitation work among the survivors of the tragedy, he said.

Other members of the Negros team who went to Leyte are Gefegliene Geralao, Hnebin Baylon, Enrique Toda Jr. and Eddie Silvano. Also with them was Geevy Gregorio, the head of PNRC Negros Bacolod Chapter.

Continuing bad weather has slowed the search for bodies of those buried by the landslide over the weekend.

Rescuers recovered only one body from the mud on Saturday and work stopped altogether yesterday due to heavy rain, Southern Leyte Gov. Rosette Lerias said. Only 140 bodies have been recovered so far and about 917 are believed to be still buried under the mud, she said.*CPG

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