Engineer Jaime A. Pacanan, regional director of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) in Eastern Visayas, said the victims were riding in two motorcycles, known as "habal-habal," when they were buried by heavy landslides.

Pacanan said two of the victims were still missing, adding search-and-rescue operations were conducted by the Office of Civil Defense and the municipal government unit of Sogod, Southern Leyte.

The identities of the eight victims and the two missing were not available as of yesterday afternoon.

"They insisted on passing through the highway, claiming their destination was just near. The bodies of the eight victims were recovered yesterday afternoon," Pacanan said.

He said the Agas-agas section of the national highway connecting Leyte to Southern Leyte has been closed to traffic since last year because of the heavy landslides but some people insist in passing through the dangerous portion.

The DPWH said it has intalled warning signs that the road is closed.

Radio reports stated that most of the fatalities were residents of Barangay Kahupian, Sogod.

The same reports also stated that two of the victims were riding a motorycle which was carried away by floodwaters when they were crossing Agasagas Bridge in Sogod.

It was reported that there were other incidents of landslides in the towns of Libagon, Viluan, San Ricardo and Martin Puyat.

The OCD in Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City said that deep floodwaters were monitored in the low-lying barangays in Anilao and San Francisco towns.

OCD Administrator Gen. (ret.) Glen Rabonza reported that three timber bridges at barangay Marayag in San Francisco; Barangay Punod, Pintuyan and Barangay Lipanto all in Saint Bernard were submerged in flood waters measuring a meter deep.

Heavy flooding was also reported in Barangays Cabasaran Guti, San Antoni and Cangumbang in Palo, Leyte.

A total of 369 families or 1,845 persons from the three barangays were evacuated to safer grounds.

Regional Disaster Coordinating Council (RDCC) Chairman Supt. Eliseo de la Paz has been designated to lead emergency relief operations in Southern Leyte.

Two rubber boats from OCD Region 8 and Leyte Provincial Disaster Coordinating Council (PDCC) were also dispatched to rescue residents in flooded areas in Palo town.

DPWH employees are in the area for clearing operations but the heavy rains and possible more landslides hamper their works. The OCD through Director Sinforiano Fuego and the local officials of Sogod are in the area to locate the two more victims.

Heavy rains continued to affect the landslide-prone national highways in Leyte and Samar, Pacanan added. (with report by Aris R. Ilagan)