Ramazan Twalla, the assistant chief administrative officer for Bulambuli, told Xinhua over the phone that the landslides swept through three sub-counties on Wednesday night, burying around 40 houses.

"I can confirm that nine bodies have so far been recovered this morning. The residents are still digging the soil and we expect to recover more bodies because many houses were buried," Twalla said.

"We expect the government to send in official search and rescue teams as well as humanitarian assistance in the form of food and temporary shelters," he added.

The landslides were triggered by days of heavy downpour in the mountainous region, said Twalla.