'Signs of life' detected at buried Philippine school

GUINSAUGON, Philippines -- High-tech gear detected "signs of life" Monday at the site of an elementary school buried under up to 100 feet of mud that swept down a hillside soaked by rain in the eastern Philippines, the provincial governor said.\nSounds of scratching and a rhythmic tapping were picked up by seismic sensors and sound-detection gear brought in by U.S. and Malaysian forces, said South Leyte Gov. Rosette Lerias. Generator-powered lights were set up to allow teams of rescue workers to dig through the sludge during the night.\nLerias said rescuers picked up "a faint, rhythmic tapping" at 5 p.m.\nTwo hours later, "we received news that there was increased positive signs of life. To me, that's more than enough reason to smile and be happy. The adrenaline is high as far as people are concerned," Lerias said.\nThe search for survivors in the farming village of Guinsaugon had focused on the school because of unconfirmed reports that some of the 250 to 300 children and teachers believed trapped inside might have sent cell phone text messages to relatives soon after Friday's disaster.\nU.S. Marines digging at the site found bodies but no survivors by Monday night, Marine Capt. Burrell Parmer said at the site.\nThe death toll is expected to be as high as 1,000 after earth, boulders and trees thundered down a rain-drenched mountain. A few survivors were pulled out in the first hours after the disaster.\n"There is a lot of rubble, a lot of large boulders," Parmer said. "On some sides near the river, it's very moist, very soft soil and you can get stuck up to your heels and your waistline if you're not careful."\nRescuers said the noises might have come from shifting and settling mud covering the school. But the discovery offered a glimmer of hope to rescuers who had all but abandoned expectations of finding anyone alive.\n"We know there's something down there," said U.S. Marine Lt. Richard Neikirk, pointing to a spot under a big boulder, where seismic sensors detected sounds. "The farther down we went, the signals grew stronger."\nA Malaysian team using sound-detection gear picked up noises, too.\n"We have a sound," said Sahar Yunos of the Malaysia Disaster and Rescue Team. "Knocking, something like that."\nWorkers were digging in two places. One -- where the sounds were heard -- is believed to be the original site of the school, close to the mountain that collapsed. The other is 200 yards down the hill, where the landslide could have carried the building.\nThere was no visible sign of the school, believed to be under some 115 feet of muck. Philippine Lt. Col. Raul Farnacio said teams had dug about half way down.\nDozens of U.S. Marines and Philippine soldiers, along with local miners, were digging in a watery spot, using shovels on the muck and moving it with body bags, while draining the murky fluid with large water bottles.\nThey deployed nine seismic sensors that can detect vibrations underground. With everyone standing still, one man used a steel bar to hit on a rock several times and waited for any kind of response from beneath the mud.\nFour sensors detected some noise or vibration, but the men could not tell what it was. Rescuers radioed for water pumps and floodlights to keep working.\nA 15-man Malaysian team using sensor gear called Delsar employed similar techniques. Five Taiwanese, who brought heat-sensing equipment, were also checking for signs of life. A rescue dog stopped three times at one spot near the digging.\nAssociated Press reporter Hrvoje Hranjski contributed to this report.