Heavy rain caused sand to collapse from a hill and engulf homes in the eastern Mexican state of Veracruz, killing at least 13 people including three children, officials said Tuesday.

Authorities had previously reported eight deaths but Ricardo Maza Limon, a state civil protection official, told AFP that rescuers found more bodies after digging all day in the municipality of Coscomatepec.

Rescuers continued to toil in the sand following the landslide which fell on two homes late Monday after rain drenched the mountains region.

The rain also caused rivers to overflow, killing another minor who was swept away by the current when he was swimming in the town of Tierra Blanca on Monday, said local civil protection director Salvador Cruz Garcia.