At least 10 people have died, and over 30 are trapped under the rubble left in the wake of a massive landslide that struck the Irsalvadi Village in the Raigad district of India's Maharashtra state late last night.
Due to the incessant rainfall, a barrage of soil and rocks came crashing down a hillside, burying about 30 homes.
Teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), the top district administration, and police reached the spot and embarked on search and rescue operations following the incident.
So far, they have managed to rescue and evacuate 75 people, but five among them have died.
Located on a hilltop, the remote village of Irsalwadi, having nearly 50 houses, has no clear path or roads, and the only way to reach there is to trek a kilometre, making it all the more difficult for the rescue team to carry out the operation.
The district administration has also sought assistance from trekker groups for the search and rescue operations.
Maharashtra State Chief Eknath Shinde visited the site on Thursday morning and took stock of the situation.
For the past two days, many districts of the state have been experiencing heavy rain, causing several rivers in the district to surge above the danger mark.
Due to the unending downpours, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a Red Alert for Mumbai city, and the Raigad, and Palghar districts. All government and private schools in Mumbai have been asked to remain closed today.