A monstrous landslide buried an Indian village in Pune District on Wednesday after two days of heavy downpour, leaving at least 30 people dead.

Rescue workers and villagers are still digging through the mud, debris, and rocks that the massive landslide left in its wake, in search for more than 150 people that authorities believe are still trapped in Malin village, according to the Associated Press.

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The calamity happened early Wednesday, but rescue teams were unable to reach the afflicted area in the Maharashtra state immediately because of the treacherous roads and poor communication lines. The tragedy was only discovered when a passing bus driver saw that a landslide had wiped out the village, and alerted the authorities.

With the rain slowing down the search and rescue efforts, National Disaster Response Force commander Alok Avasthy said their chances of finding more survivors were very slim. Their team recovered 25 bodies from Malin village and found eight people alive, rescue staff Sachin Tamboli said.

People from adjacent areas are trying to help the rescuers by digging through the rubble with their bare hands. Rescuers expect the death toll to go up.

Pune district is located 150 kilometers (95 miles) from the Indian commercial capital of Mumbai. Malin village is located at the foot of the Sahyadri Mountains and is home to 704 residents.

The area is prone to landslides especially during the monsoon, a wet season that begins in June and ends in September. The surrounding area had undergone extensive deforestation, making the place more vulnerable to landslides.

Other places in India are similarly prone to floods and landslides because of the damage sustained from deforestation.

On Thursday, a torrential downpour hit a mountainous village in the northern region of India and six people are feared dead, according to police officer Pravin Tamta. Authorities recovered two dead bodies and were still looking for four others. 

TagsPune, Associated Press, Maharashtra, National Disaster Response Force, Alok Avasthy, Sachin Tamboli, Sahyadri Mountains, Pravin Tamta