**Up to 70 people are feared dead after being trapped under piles of mud when a landslide hit a village near the Indonesian city of Bandung.**Heavy rain forced rescue efforts to stop for the night but they resumed after lifting equipment arrived. At least six people are known to be dead.
Precipitation from the monsoon season is believed to be the cause.
The BBC’s Indonesia correspondent says there are reports of villagers trying to dig victims out with bare hands.
Tree plantation
Officials say that fears are growing for the safety of the more than 60 people believed to be still buried in their homes under the mud.
About 600 villagers have been moved to makeshift tents amid fears of further landslides because of the bad weather.
Villagers using farm tools and their bare hands recovered at least six bodies from the mud by late on Tuesday.
National Disaster Management Agency spokesman Priyadi Kardono said another 15 people had been injured, two of whom had been admitted to hospital.
“The landslide is very deep. At this point, the chance of pulling out victims alive is slim,” said West Java police spokesman Dade Ahmad.
About 500 rescuers, including officers from the Brimob special police force, are searching for victims buried on the tea plantation near Ciwidey village, about 35 km (22 miles) southwest of Bandung city.
“We have six sniffer dogs on site and rescuers are digging manually using hoes and light cutting equipment to reach victims,” Mr Ahmad added.
Indonesian Vice President Boediono and several ministers are expected to visit the disaster area.
This region has been seeing particularly heavy rains for the time of year, with scores of people escaping from their homes to safety.
Landslides are common in Indonesia, where years of deforestation can often leave hillsides vulnerable to collapse.
According to environmentalists, tropical downpours can quickly soak hills stripped of vegetation which had held the soil in place.