Emilio Miranda, who lives in Chichicaste, told local radio that "at four in the morning (1000 GMT), there was a tremendous noise," and three families were now missing and believed to be buried in the mud.

"Three houses were buried. Ten people lived in the first house, nine lived in the second, and two elderly people were in the third house," Miranda noted.

Another area resident told local radio that the mudslide completely buried three homes, but he said he did not know whether the people inside had escaped or were buried along with their residences.

"Only God knows," he said, adding that firefighters were searching in the mud for as many as 22 people listed as missing in the village of some 94 inhabitants.

SPACE.WIRE