At least five tourists have died when a landslide hit a resort on a paradise island in Thailand

At least five people have died after a landslide triggered by heavy rains hit a luxury villa and homes on the popular Thai tourist island of Phuket, leaving a trail of destruction in its wake.

Among the dead was a Russian couple who were on holiday in the area, local police chief Khundech Na Nongkhai said, adding that officers were working to identify the other victims.

“Heavy rains that began at 2:00 a.m. yesterday triggered a landslide that damaged houses. Residents in the area were taken by surprise,” Khundech said.

He said the landslide descended from the Nak Kerd mountain range and crashed into a residential area on the island, where hotels and rented apartments are located.

Thailand has been hit by heavy monsoon rains over the past week, mainly affecting the country’s southern coast and parts of the north.

The torrents of water have caused flooding that has killed five people in the past month and injured 32 others, according to the Ministry of Health.

In Phuket, military personnel, volunteer groups and police have been deployed to find other victims, but forecast heavy rains could hamper the operation, Khundech said.

A local named Sukon Nakmat, 34, recounted her brush with death while escaping the landslide last night.

She was sleeping when she heard a loud bang and quickly ran out and climbed onto the roof of her house.

Ms Nakmat said she would have died if she had not run, when she saw a mass of mud and water pass beneath her, Thai media reported.

While Thailand experiences annual monsoon rains, man-made climate change is leading to more intense weather patterns that can increase the likelihood of destructive flooding.

In 2011, widespread flooding in Thailand killed more than 500 people and damaged millions of homes across the country.