Rescuers are searching for survivors today after a massive landslide hit a gold-mining town in the Philippines.

A huge chunk of land slid from a mountain following heavy rains, leaving at least 11 workers dead and 110 people missing in Masara village in Maco town, Davao de Oro province on Tuesday night, February 6.

Soldiers, police, and volunteers were scouring buried homes and buildings during search and rescue operations in the mountainous region.

Local officials said the landslide occurred near a mining site, where some 30 workers were waiting in buses to be taken home.

The avalanche had buried the buses, a government office, and several houses.

As of February 8, around 1,166 displaced families were staying at relief centres in the towns of Maco and Mawab.

Edward Macapili, Executive Assistant at the Davao de Oro Information and Communications Office, told local media: 'We are hopeful there are still survivors among those buried. That's why we are expediting the rescue and retrieval operations in the area.'

He added that authorities were investigating the mining company for potential safety lapses that resulted in the landslide.

Davao de Oro is among the southern Philippine provinces pummelled by torrential rains due to the northeast monsoon and the trough of a low pressure area.

Philippine weather bureau PAGASA warned that the region may be battered by 'heavy to intense' rains over the weekend.