HANGZHOU - Three people have died and three remain missing after a landslide engulfed houses in East China's Zhejiang province early Sunday.

The rain-triggered landslide occurred shortly after midnight in the suburbs of Jiande city, and rescuers pulled three bodies out of the debris at around 5 pm, the city government said in a press release.

It said rescuers were continuing to search for the three missing villagers.

The landslide was caused by heavy rain in Jiande on Saturday night. The local weather bureau said 144 mm of rain had fallen within two hours.

China's meteorological authority has forecast more heavy rain in the southern and eastern regions, and advised the public to stay alert.