Floods regularly hit parts of Indonesia

Up to 16 other people are still missing, and more than 60 homes were either swept way or buried in mud.

Rescuers are using heavy machinery to hunt for survivors, but officials say bad weather is hampering the search.

"We are working to send body bags and aid via the sea... since it is not possible to transport them via air," said local official Christian Tilla.

Sangihe is a small island between Manado, the North Sulawesi capital, and Mindanao, an island in the southern Philippines.

Every year, seasonal rains cause dozens of landslides and flash floods in various parts of Indonesia's vast archipelago.

Tropical rains can quickly saturate the soil on mountainsides, causing land and mudslips, and deforestation in many areas often means there is little vegetation to hold the soil together.

Last month dozens of people were killed in a landslide on the island of Sumatra.