DHAKA: At least 30 people have died and about 600 are missing after a hillside collapsed on a town on the edge of Guatemala City, burying homes in earth and sludge and sparking a desperate hunt for survivors.

Loosened by heavy rains, tonnes of dirt and trees tumbled onto Santa Catarina Pinula in a valley on the south-eastern flank of the capital late on Thursday (local time), flattening dozens of flimsy houses when many residents had gone to bed, abc.net.au reported.

An aerial video on Guatemalan media showed the tree-lined hillside laid bare above earth, foliage and debris covering part of the town, which hugs the side of a river in a deep ravine.

"We have 29 dead people identified, and one still unidentified," said Sergio Cabanas, incident commander for the government's disaster reduction office CONRAD.

The victims include at least three children.

Rescue workers removed the dead from the tangle of mangled walls, beds and furniture.

CONRAD head Alejandro Maldonado told a news conference as many as 600 could still be missing after the disaster, which he said hit 125 homes.

BDST: 1131 HRS, OCT 03, 2015
RS