RABAT (Reuters) - A landslide killed 15 people riding in a van in the Atlas Mountains south of Marrakech, local authorities said on Friday.

The landslide, caused by heavy rain, buried the van on Wednesday evening in the area of Asni.

The bodies of 11 women, three men and a child were extracted overnight from the van, authorities said in a statement.

The van was carrying passengers from Casablanca to the village of Taliouine, 670 km south of Rabat, witnesses said.

The landslide created a pile of earth and mud 20 meters high that blocked the mountainous road.