Guinsaugon, Philippines ? Buoyed by the sound of tapping from deep beneath the mud, rescue crews continued to dig through more than 20 feet of mud to a buried school in hope of finding survivors three days after a massive landslide crushed this remote village.

But rescuers working into the evening, including U.S. Marines, found only more bodies, dashing hope Monday of finding the first survivors since 20 people were pulled from the mud on Friday.

The village of Guinsaugon on Leyte Island, home to more than 1,800 people, was obliterated by millions of tons of mud that poured down Friday from a mountainside soaked by more than 24 inches of rain since Feb. 1.

Authorities are uncertain how many people were crushed by the mud, but estimates range from 900 to 1,400. More than 1,000 rescuers, including U.S. Marines and teams from Malaysia, Taiwan and Spain, have been battling the odds in the hope of finding survivors in pockets within the rubble.

On Monday, teams using sensitive sound equipment reported hearing scratching noises and rhythmic tapping near the site of a school where 250 students and teachers had been in class at the time of the mudslide.

Members of the international rescue effort interpreted the sounds as signs of life and redoubled their efforts. Some of the U.S. Marines thought they may have heard voices from underground.

“We know there’s something down there,” said U.S. Marine Lt. Richard Neikirk. “The farther down we went, the signals grew stronger.”

South Leyte Gov. Rosette Lerias, who has been overseeing the rescue effort, was elated by the first good news in days.

U.S. Marines, in Khaki, from the 3rd Marines Expeditionary Unit and Filipino rescuers join hands as they pull a rope tied to a big boulder during the search and recovery oprations for landslide victims Monday, Feb. 20, 2006 in Guinsaugon village, in the island province of Leyte southeast of Manila. The U.S. Marines who were diverted from their joint military exercise in Jolo were joined by rescuers from Taiwan and Malaysia.

“First we heard scratches,” she said. “Now it’s rhythmic tapping. It cannot be just a rat making those sounds. It’s enough that we heard a sound of life. Hallelujah! Praise God!”

At one point Monday evening, a top government official announced on national television that 50 survivors had been found at the school. But the report quickly proved to be untrue.

Efforts have focused at the school site because residents reported receiving cell phone messages from victims trapped in the school. But nothing has been heard from them since before dawn Saturday.

The mud initially was too soft to allow the use of heavy equipment, but by Monday crews could use earth-moving equipment in some areas. Still, hundreds of rescuers resorted to picks and shovels and used crowbars and ropes to move boulders. They bailed water from the holes they dug using plastic bottles.

International rescue teams used search dogs, seismic detectors and heat sensors as well as the audio equipment to locate survivors. By Monday evening, the day’s labor had yielded 13 bodies, bringing the total of bodies recovered to at least 84.

Lerias said she had no plans to abandon the rescue effort.

“It is our job to find these people,” the governor said. “And if God wills it, we will find them.”

At about 11 p.m., rescue operations were suspended because of renewed rains and a mudflow that officials worried could endanger rescuers.