At least six people were killed when a landslide hit a house in the southern Philippines on Thursday, an official said.

The incident happened in the morning in a mountainous gold mining region of Davao de Oro province on Mindanao island, where heavy rain has triggered flooding and landslides this week.

Rescuers retrieved six bodies from the mud and were still searching for others, said Rhyan Nanca, a member of the non-uniformed personnel of Monkayo Municipal Police. 

Nanca told AFP that two people were pulled alive from the house and taken to a local health centre for treatment.

Monkayo Mayor Manual Zamora had issued a warning on Wednesday for people living in "high risk" areas of the municipality to leave their homes, his chief of staff, Rodielyn Manugas, told AFP.

Manugas gave a slightly higher death toll of seven, including a child. She said another four people could be missing.