He said at least 19 people had died in the landslide, with the search for more victims due to continue on Monday.

Alphonse Mushesha Mihingano, a local administrator, confirmed that 19 bodies had been retrieved but emphasised that the death toll was provisional.

He said around 25 mothers, with their children, had been doing laundry in a stream at the foot of a mountain when ground gave way, burying some of them.

Bulwa resident Musafiri Balume gave a similar account, saying he had lost a sister in the landslide, which occurred during heavy rains.