The disaster struck at dawn on Wednesday -- late evening in mainland France -- in the eastern village of Afaahiti after a week of heavy rain.

Those killed also included three women and four men, local prosecutor Solene Belaouar said, adding that all those missing had been found dead.

French President Emmanuel Macron earlier reported seven killed, and extended "the nation's full support to the families affected".

France's high commissioner for French Polynesia said a "30-metre-high" landslide had swept one house away, sending it crashing into a second.

A resident of Afaahiti told AFP she had been woken early Wednesday by what sounded like a train outside her home.

"We went outside and saw that a house was completely covered by earth and mud," said Ida Labbeyi.

Rescue operations had to be suspended for several hours after a second landslide nearly swept away members of the rescue team.

Tahiti, nearly 16,000 kilometres (9,950 miles) from Paris is one of several French overseas territories that span the Caribbean and the Pacific.

French Polynesia comprises more than 100 islands, including Tahiti.