A landslide that ripped down a heavily forested mountainside in south-east Alaska killed a girl, injured a woman and left five people missing as it struck three homes in a remote fishing community, authorities said.

Crews are using a sniffer dog and heat-sensing drones to search for those who are unaccounted for.

The slide — estimated to be about 450ft wide — occurred near Wrangell, a small fishing community of just over 2,000 residents on an island about 155 miles south of Juneau.

“The body of one deceased individual was located during the hasty search. Multiple individuals are believed to have been within the slide area when the landslide occurred and are believed to be missing,” Alaska State Troopers said in a statement.

The scene near Wrangell, Alaska
The scene near Wrangell, Alaska (Sunrise Aviation/AP)

People were urged to contact the local police if they know of anyone missing.

Phone service appeared to be down for the remote community, but officials posted on Facebook that a local food bank was accepting donations and offered a community gathering place at a local bakery.

“Our hearts are heavy and our thoughts are with those suffering due to last night’s events,” officials wrote on Wrangell’s Facebook page.

Pictures posted on social media show the extent of damage. The slide scoured the mountainside, leaving barren earth from near the top of the mountain to the ocean, wiping out a stretch of large evergreen trees and leaving what appeared to be remnants of homes in its wake.

The landslide cut off access and power to approximately 75 homes, and boats have been taking residents from the cut-off area to the unaffected part of town, according to the state emergency management office.