At least seven people have been killed and 48 others are missing after a landslide buried two buses carrying passengers in the southern Philippines.

The incident on Tuesday happened close to a gold mining site in the mountain area of Masara, situated in the town of Maco in Davao de Oro province.

Among the missing were 27 miners who had been waiting in two buses to begin their journey home when the landslide buried both vehicles, Davao de Oro provincial spokesperson Edward Macapili said.

Officials said workers were being collected in four 60-seater buses along with a jeep, which had a capacity for 36 passengers.

The vehicles had been picking up employees of Apex Mining – one bus had already left the scene to begin its journey at the time of the disaster, they added.

Several miners jumped out of bus windows to escape the landslide.

The search for survivors resumed on Wednesday after it was suspended overnight due to fears of more landslides, officials said.

More than 750 families have been moved to evacuation centres.

The recent extreme conditions had started to ease in the days before the latest landslide, said Mr Macapili.

He added: “It happened so fast. They suddenly saw the landslide cascading directly toward them.”

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Army troops, police and volunteers rescued 31 residents who were injured.

Torrential rains have saturated the region in recent weeks.

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On Monday, disaster agencies said at least 20 people died after days of torrential rainfall in parts of the southern Philippines.

Floods and landslides left 18 people dead in January.

It also comes after earthquakes in recent months left buildings damaged.

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