A Philippines presidential committee said a Japanese-Filipino developer ignored danger signs which led to a landslide that killed more than 70 people at a housing estate outside Manila last week.
The committee also said government agencies were at fault for failing to conduct studies on the soil foundation of the Cherry Hills housing estate in Antipolo town before granting a permit for its development.
Army search crews have pulled out at least 48 bodies from the wreckage of the homes which crumbled "like an accordion" due to the mudslip last Tuesday.
Disaster officials say about 30 other residents were listed as missing and feared dead.
In a report, the committee said the tragedy could have been prevented, stressing that four days of heavy monsoon rains could not be used as convenient excuse for the incident.
In the report, the committee said the land on which the more than 500 homes were built in the early 1990s is not a geologically stable area for construction.
=A9 1999 Australian Broadcasting Corporation
Disclaimer
- Australian Broadcasting Corporation
- © ABC