21 Dead , 200 still Trapped in a Mudslide Following Heavy Rains in a Village in India

A major mudslide following heavy rains in western India has left 21 dead and around 200 trapped under the debris on Wednesday, officials say.

Rescue operations are on in the remote village near the city of Pune where a hill collapsed early morning after a heavy monsoon downpour, burying most of the sleeping villagers.

"Six victims have been rescued and 17 dead bodies recovered so far," said Tripti Parule, a spokeswoman for the National Disaster Management Authority, reports AFP.

According to district officials, at least 150-200 are still feared trapped under.

The National Disaster Task Force has around 350 people engaged in the rescue effort.

"We have mapped the 46 houses and are trying to remove the mud from the most densely populated areas," said operations chief Alok Avasthy, reports the Guardian. Rains and narrow hilly terrain are hampering the rescue operations.

Environmentalists blame large-scale deforestation and unplanned constructions and blasting for hydro-electric dams for the disaster.

"The root cause of he landslide appears to be levelling of land on the hill for cultivation and uprooting tress,' said landslide expert Satish Thigale, who has studied the area,  to Times of India.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi described the loss of life as "saddening" in a Twitter message.

Last year, unprecedented rains in the northern state of Himachal Pradesh in India wreaked havoc with flooded rivers and mudslides killing at least 6000 people.

According to The Guardian, 2,651 people were killed across India in 2012 from the collapse of 2,737 structures, including houses and bridges.