Philippines says four troops missing in Haiti quake

Four Philippine soldiers are missing after the massive Haiti quake, believed trapped in the rubble of collapsed buildings used by UN peacekeepers, a military spokesman said on Thursday.

Four Philippine soldiers are missing after the massive Haiti quake, believed trapped in the rubble of collapsed buildings used by UN peacekeepers, a military spokesman said on Thursday.

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Three sergeants, including two female soldiers, were on duty at the headquarters of the UN Stabilisation Mission in the capital Port-au-Prince when 7.0 magnitude quake struck on Tuesday.

A corporal was also believed trapped in the ruins of the Montana hotel in Port-au-Prince, a building also used by the United Nations, armed forces spokesman Colonel Romeo Brawner told local television and radio stations.

"We are hoping that they are still alive," he said. "As of now they are missing."

The four are part of a 172-strong Filipino contingent in the UN force, comprising police, soldiers, and military observers, Brawner said. The rest are now taking part in the rescue effort, he added.

Manila has said it has had no news on more than 400 Filipino civilians in Haiti, including people working for UN agencies there.