The deceased were identified as Ani, 27, and her niece, Mila, 9, while the two hurt were identified as Pati, 12, and Ita, 12.

Jerantut police chief Supt Azid Ismail said the four had entered the forest to collect tree resin at 8.30am and did not return by nightfall.

The incident came to light when Pati reached home at 9.20pm to relate what happened to the villagers.

“Hassan a/l Bakar (brother of Ani and Pati) made a police report about the incident at 3am today. Hassan and the villagers entered the forest at 9.30pm to rescue three other landslide victims.

“They found Ita hurt and Mila dead. It takes about 45 minutes to reach the site of the landslide on foot,” he told Bernama, here today.

Mila is Hassan’s daughter while Ita is Ani’s daughter.

Rescuers found Ani’s body at 1.40pm stuck on a tree branch near a river.

The 27-member rescue team from the Royal Malaysian Police, Fire and Rescue Department and the Civil Defence Department began the operation at 9am.