The worsening weather conditions triggered the landslide in the village of Irshalwadi, on the slope of a hill, about 50 miles (80 kilometers) from Mumbai.

Relief teams managed to rescue 21 people before they were forced to temporarily halt work on Thursday evening due to further weather deterioration at the landslide site, local sources stated.

Chief Minister Eknath Shinde told reporters that the priority is to continue the search for survivors under the debris and assured state assistance to those affected by the unfortunate incident.

ef/iff/jha/lrd