Officials estimate the village population to be between 2,000 to 3,000, most of whom are missing. (Photo: Xinhua/REUTERS)

    MANILA, Feb. 17 (Xinhuanet) -- At least 15 people were confirmed dead, 58 survivors were recovered and thousands remained missing by Friday evening after a massive landslide reduced a green farmland valley into a huge burial ground of mud and rock submerging three entire villages in minutes.

    Southern Leyte Governor Rosette Lerias said search and rescue operations have been called off as nighttime fell and amid fears that another landslide will occur in the remote area on the southern tip of Southern Leyte in central Philippines.

    "We'll resume (operations) first hour in the morning tomorrow (Saturday)," the Philippine News Agency quoted her as saying. She said that the mud that engulfed the entire Ginsaugon village in St.Bernard town had risen to chest-deep.

    "Our equipment could just get stuck or even sink in the pile ofmud," she said, adding that seven evacuation centers have been setup at the town proper.

    The Red Cross has appealed for food and medicine to private organizations and help to thousands of people displace by the landslide, believed to be scattered in some very remote areas.

    The disaster struck before noon Friday less than one hour aftermild earthquake measuring 2.6 magnitude struck Southern Leyte. But officials said the landslide was mainly caused by loosened soil onthe mountain slopes nearby the small town and deforestation resulted from heavy loggings.

    At the time of the incident, there were an estimated 246 schoolchildren and seven teachers inside the school. There was also a women's activity in the village, said officials.

    Officials estimate the village population to be between 2,000 to 3,000, most of whom are missing.

    The affected area has been subjected to two weeks of continuous rain attributed to the La Nina weather phenomenon, characterized by continuous heavy rainfall.

    The Philippine National Red Cross has appealed for an immediate evacuation of the Southern Leyte residents living near mountain slopes in fear that more landslides are to occur in the coming hours.

    Rescuers said they badly need sniff dogs and special equipment in locating victims buried under the mud and rocks covering 10 hectares of land where used to stand 372 houses.

    They said medical kits, rubber boots, blankets, clothes and bottled water are also in short.

    Only a small number of roofs could be seen from television footage showing of the huge mud land, where rescuers were busy looking for survivors buried under the black and soft mud.

    Like much of Eastern Visayas, Southern Leyte has been experiencing continuous rainfall for the past two weeks.

    Emergency teams for National Disaster Coordinating Council, the Philippine Army, the Philippine National Police and provincial government of Southern Leyte have sent rescuers to the site. Enditem