The dump near Batujbar village in Bandung district collapsed due to the heavy rains in the region, burying the entire village in thousands of tons of stinking garbage.

"I heard sound like thunder when the garbage slid down, hitting houses, and people screamed for help," Xinhua quoted a young villager, Dede Ahmad, as saying.

Rescue teams, comprising hundreds of soldiers and policemen equipped with heavy equipment struggled to clear the area, unearthing several bodies in the process.

"Four of my relatives were killed here, their houses are buried. I come here waiting for their bodies," said 60-year-old Sulaiman who lives in a neighbouring village. 

"I was really shocked when I heard of the tragedy," Xinhua quoted a tearful 59-year-old woman who lost eight of her relatives as saying.

Rescuers were battling bad weather and hostile terrain to clear the area on Tuesday, and the death toll is expected to rise.