PNG landslide kills at least eight

At least eight people have been killed and 22 others are missing following a landslide in Papua New Guinea.

Officials in Morobe province on the country's northern coast said a number of houses were buried when a riverside cliff collapsed in a remote village.

The landslide struck late on Monday night as villagers slept, the country's Post-Courier newspaper said.

Correspondents say the area is prone to both landslides and flooding.

Officials said there had been heavy rain in the area in recent weeks and an earthquake measuring 5.3 on the Richter scale was felt in parts of the province on Monday morning which could have helped spark the landslip.

Four people were admitted to hospital, one with a serious leg injury, the paper said.

Morobe provincial administrator Manasupe Zurenuoc said more than 50 people had been moved to higher ground and emergency supplies have been sent to the area.

The exact death toll may never be known as population statistics in the remote villages are unreliable.