
At least 17 people died after being buried alive in a 50ft-high pile of garbage when the filth fell on top of their homes in Mozambique.

Heavy rains triggered the partial collapse of the huge mound of waste which crashed on top of seven houses in the Hulene neighbourhood in the outskirts of the country's capital Maputo.

The impoverished area sat right beside a landfill site and authorities fear more bodies are buried beneath the rubbish.

Heavy rains triggered the partial collapse of a huge pile of waste at a garbage dump in Maputo, Mozambique, which killed 17 people

Authorities fear more bodies are buried beneath the rubbish in the impoverished Hulene neighbourhood on the outskirts of the city

The huge pile of waste rose to the height of a three-story building, according to reports, and the collapse happened at around 3am on Monday.

The houses were built illegally and authorities had previously asked the residents to leave, officials said.

'Up to now 17 dead bodies were recovered. We fear more might be unaccounted for,' a councillor for Ka Mavota Municipal District, Despedida Rita, said.

The huge pile of waste rose to the height of a three-story building, according to reports, and the collapse happened at around 3am on Monday

'Up to now 17 dead bodies were recovered. We fear more might be unaccounted for,' a councillor for Ka Mavota Municipal District, Despedida Rita, said

Devastation: Families have been left without homes after the collapse. Above, a young girl in tears with her parents after the disaster

'We will keep searching for bodies buried underneath the garbage pile.'

Land pressure in many African cities leads some people to squat on land they do not own as they seek higher wages available in urban centres.

The dwellings are sometimes built on land that is marginal or unsafe.