Landslide kills mother and six children in Equatorial Guinea

A landslide triggered by torrential rain in Equatorial Guinea killed a mother and her six children. [File, Standard]

A landslide triggered by torrential rain in Equatorial Guinea killed a mother and her six children, the central African country's rescue services said on Friday.

The bodies of the victims buried by the landslide were recovered on Friday, including that of the 36-year-old mother, who was eight months pregnant.

Witnesses said the landslide happened on Thursday afternoon when downpours fell on the city of Malabo.

"A concrete retaining wall collapsed onto their house... followed by a landslide," neighbour Dominica Ada said.

"The mother and her six children were all inside," she added.

The father, who had left the house just before the wall collapsed, was the sole survivor.

The wooden walls of the house had no foundations and had been reinforced with cinder blocks.

Public Works Minister Clemente Ferreiro Villarino told RNGE radio that the weather and uneven terrain had made the rescuers' work more difficult.

Government representatives and the archbishop of Malabo, formerly the capital, have travelled to the site to express their condolences and support the rescuers.

Unregulated urban development in Malabo and shaky construction practices have contributed to several disasters of this kind.