Rae Hamoonga, the police spokesperson, said the accident occurred around on Sunday morning after the workers finished loading the gravel, burying the truck and the victims, Xinhua reported.

He said the driver, who was rescued after being partially buried, informed the police that there were no less than nine people at the scene.

The rescue team has managed to retrieve eight bodies while the search for the other victims is still underway, the spokesperson added.

"Our rescue teams have been working tirelessly to recover those affected by this incident. However, due to the challenging conditions at the site, the rescue operation has been temporarily suspended for the day," he said in a statement.