AT least eight people are dead after a landslide buried homes on Tahiti in Maohi Nui (French Polynesia) on Wednesday.
Authorities have deployed police and emergency services to help search for people believed to be trapped under 30 metres of soil in two homes.
The landslide followed a week of heavy rain.
The disaster struck in the early hours of Wednesday following a week of heavy rainfall.
Nearby residents have been evacuated as a precautionary measure.
Reuters reports that territory President, Moetai Brotherson, visited the site
Emergency crews report that tge site is highly unstable, and the operation is extremely dangerous.
Sniffer dogs, drones, underground cameras, radar, medical emergency teams, and an army helicopter are being used in the operation.
One of the missing is reportedly a child believed to be trapped under the rubble.