Death toll has risen to 15 due to a landslide caused by persistent rainfall in Cameroon's West regional city of Bafoussam, the region's governor, Augustine Awa Fonka said Tuesday.

Early Tuesday, seven bodies were found in the debris, but Fonka told Xinhua eight other deceased have been discovered during the search operation.

"Rescue missions are working and we will only be able to give an exact situation later," the governor said, adding that government has disbursed 27 million CFA francs (about 45,780 U.S. dollars) for "immediate assistance" to victims.

The landslide happened late Monday following heavy downpour that lasted for "several hours," destroying households and "enormous property," according to locals.

"We were sleeping at about 10 p.m. when I heard a loud noise. I stepped outside and realized that all the houses have fallen. I am still very lucky to be alive but the rest of my family is buried in the rubble," Eric Chounang, a father of four who survived the tragedy told Xinhua.

Over 50 people were still trapped under affected homes, with rescuers digging up in the area to find any survivors according to local officials.

West region has been experiencing torrential rains throughout October, according to weather forecasts.

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