More than 800 people are either dead or missing after rivers of mud and volcanic ash triggered by a typhoon swamped villages in the Philippines, the Red Cross said Sunday.

The Red Cross said it had confirmed 406 dead from the mudslides around Mayon volcano in the eastern region of Bicol with 398 missing.

Red Cross coordinator Paul Pagaran said the death toll was expected to go up as many of the missing were likely to turn up dead as the mudflow had buried entire villages.

Heavy rains brought by super typhoon Durian on Thursday mixed with volcanic ash on the slopes of Mayon volcano to cause the deadly torrents.

mm/kw/th