Philippine authorities fear hundreds of dead in the town of Maco in Davao de Oro province as searches continue for dozens of people missing after Tuesday’s landslide.

Due to the landslide, which occurred on Tuesday night, houses and three buses were buried.

The provisional death toll was at least 11, but the number of missing rose to 110 from the previous 40.

Rescuers and volunteers are digging even with their bare hands in the mud, as the hours pass and hope of finding survivors fades. A spokesman for the regional military command, which is involved in the search and rescue operation, told Reuters news agency he was optimistic about finding survivors in the affected area.

The disaster management office of the municipality of Mako announced that 1,166 families were forced to leave their homes due to a landslide attributed to earlier torrential rains on the southern Philippine island of Mindanao.