A 56-year-old woman was killed and three others buried alive in a landslide caused by heavy rainfall in Sarawak early today.

George Chan, Sarawak's deputy chief minister, said rescuers were digging through the rubble with hoes and their bare hands to try and rescue the other three, aged between 12 and 30.

The incident happened early today in the village of Kapit near the state capital Kuching.

"The area is landslide-prone and similar incidents have happened there in the past," Alexander Nanta Linggi, a local politician, was quoted saying by the Bernama news agency.

Meanwhile, at least 29 people have died in the last two weeks because of monsoon floods in Malaysia and thousands of people have sought shelter in relief centres.