JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — A government official says a landslide triggered by torrential rain has killed at least four villagers and left 18 others missing in western Indonesia.

Disaster official Ade Edward says 20 houses were buried by tons of mud and rocks that fell from surrounding hills at dawn Sunday in Tanjung Sani village of Agam district in West Sumatra province.

He says three injured villagers were being treated at a hospital. Rescuers have recovered four bodies and are searching for 18 people who reportedly were buried under the mud.

Seasonal downpours cause frequent landslides and flashfloods each year in Indonesia, a chain of 17,000 islands where millions of people live in mountainous areas or near fertile flood plains.