Two sisters were killed when they were buried by a landslide during heavy rain in Indonesia.

Nikita Pantow, 21, and her younger sibling Majesty, 10, were sheltering in a wooden stall when the earth crashed down an adjacent hillside.

They were both buried alive under the debris.

Footage shows frantic residents searching for the pair in the aftermath of the landslide in the village of Wanga in South Minahasa Regency, North Sulawesi, on January 29.

Two dead bodies were pulled from the mud. The girls were rushed to a nearby hospital but they could not be revived.

Council leader Frangky Pondaag said: 'The girls were sheltering from the rain in their stalls, which were located close to the cliff.

'Then, the landslide happened unexpectedly, so they did not have time to escape and were buried by mud and rocks that hit the stall from behind.'

Nuridin Gumelang head of public relations in the region, added: 'Miss Pantow was first found at 3:10pm and the second victim was found around 20 minutes later.

'The cause of the landslide was due to bad weather factors. The heavy rain was the main cause of the landslide.'

The officer warned residents to be cautious of the torrential weather battering the region.

He added: 'We appeal to the public to remain vigilant against other potential natural disasters.'

The landslide also cut off the trans-provincial rail line that connects South Minahasa Regency and Manado City.

Dhira Utama, Head of the Sam Ratulangi Manado Meteorological Station, reminded the public to regularly monitor weather updates from authorities.

Heavy rain across Indonesia this month has causes hundreds of landslides and severe floods. Officials said dozens have died in the disasters.