Mindanao again - this time landslide, approx 150 dead or missing

[Mark]

Rescue teams are continuing to search for up to 150 people thought to be missing after a landslide struck a mining village in the southern Philippines.
The landslide occurred on Thursday in Pantukan, Compostela Valley province, on Mindanao island.  

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-16437260

Occurring near the plate boundary, no doubt feeling the recent pressure from the Pacific via the Mariana and Philippine plates.

 

 

[Etana]

The quakes and the landslide lies along the Philippine Fault Zone (PFZ) which runs from the northermost part of the Philippines down to the south in Davao. This might extend farther north to Taiwan and beyond Davao down south towards the Talaud Ridge which was reported to be in a rise.

It runs on the west of the Philippine Trench (subduction zone) and almost parallel with it.

More information at this site: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippine_Fault_System

http://www.palawan.com/articles.php?article_id=215

Based from this research articles, the Philippines is compressed by two subduction zones in the west as well in the east with the PFZ in the middle as a left-lateral strike slip fault, one the longest in the world at 1,200 kms.

[Nancy Lieder]

Boy, that's right ON the plate border!

[Nancy Lieder]

Katt also posted this landslide 

http://poleshift.ning.com/profiles/blogs/more-landslides-landslide-...

referencing this article:

http://news.yahoo.com/landslide-kills-25-southern-philippines-01360...

Etana noted that quakes had occurred there before and after the slide:

There were four (4) earthquakes registered during this time. Two (2) before the landslide.

Details here: http://www.phivolcs.dost.gov.ph/html/update_SOEPD/EQLatest.html

This surely IS related to the folding Philippine and Mariana plates! May not be the rough ride that a subducting plate would induce, but it would be like sleeping next to a partner that keeps tossing and turning, eh? Hard to ignore.