Some 200 people are feared trapped after a landslide in Ambegaon near Pune
18 people have been killed and some 200 are feared buried under a landslide that hit a village 120 kilometres from Pune this morning after torrential rains.
Officials fear the number of dead may rise.
Images of the area showed mountains of slush and mud that can be a logistical nightmare for rescue workers to reach those trapped.
The landslide in the Malin village has buried about 40 houses, according to Prabhakar Deshmukh, the local commissioner of Pune district in Maharashtra.
Seven teams of the National Disaster Response Force, with 42 rescue workers each, are trying to reach the site. Their journey has been hindered by poor roads leading to the village and continuing rain.
300 more from the disaster response force have been sent from the Centre.
With traffic jams all over the area, only ambulances and police vehicles are being allowed to go towards the site.
Reports suggest an entire hillside came crashing down this morning. Officials said hospitals are being mobilised to tackle the potentially massive crisis.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi said Home Minister Rajnath Singh would visit the spot. He tweeted, "Loss of lives in landslide in Pune dist. is saddening. Spoke to Rajnath ji & he would be travelling to Pune to take stock of the situation."