I don't see any homes, I don't see any buildings. It's just mud. Oh God, this is truly tragic.
They cannot bring in equipment because it would sink in the mud.
I have a glimmer of hope, based on the rule of thumb: Within 24 hours, you can still find survivors. After that, you move on to the recovery phase.
They told us they will continue digging ... there is no question of giving up.
We have decided to move on to recovery and rehabilitation of survivors because our greater responsibility ... is to rebuild the lives of those who have been devastated by this disaster.
We have decided to end our search and rescue operation... to give way for the construction of evacuation centers.
Presently we have more than 300 rescue members from the Army, Air Force and even mountaineer volunteers at the disaster site.
We asked them to leave yesterday. I had some of the villages checked again today, because some people didn't want to leave their homes.
The ground has really been soaked because of the rain. The trees were sliding down upright with the mud.
It is impossible to relocate everyone. This is a lesson for us but a lesson to which we have no permanent solutions.
