"We have seven confirmed dead and another 20 people unaccounted for," Tito Maya told a local broadcaster from the town some 60 kilometers (37 miles) from Mexico City.

Three people were wounded and taken to hospital.

The mayor said the landslide occurred early in the morning along a local road. Civil Defense rescue crews were clawing through dirt and debris in an effort to find people who might have been buried when the hill gave way, Maya said.

The force of the landslide dragged two vehicles into a ravine, including a passenger bus which had stopped so occupants could get out and remove debris that had tumbled into the road.

Hurricane Karl drenched much of eastern and southern Mexico with torrential rains late last week, causing flooding and landslides that killed at least 12 people and left thousands homeless.

Prior to Karl, intense flooding since late August across wide swathes of Mexico -- brought on by what authorities describe as the heaviest rains on record -- had left 25 people dead and affected about one million people.

earlier related report
280 crocodiles escape breeding facility after Mexico floods
Veracruz, Mexico (AFP) Sept 21, 2010 - Some 280 crocodiles escaped a breeding facility in the Mexican state of Veracruz officials said Tuesday, after weekend flooding following torrential rains from Hurricane Karl.

Veracruz's governor Fidel Herrera told reporters that the crocodiles were kept in an outdoor facility next to the port of Veracruz which bred the endangered reptiles in captivity.

The enclosure became submerged after the hurricane carried torrential rains, allowing the animals to escape.

Karl passed through Mexico over the weekend, leaving at least 12 people dead and forcing 40,000 into shelters as it pummeled a country already reeling from one of its wettest rainy seasons on record.

Residents of Veracruz were urged to be vigilant and to report any crocodile sightings to local authorities.

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