Massive rescue operation launched by the National Disaster Relief Force (NDRF) team is underway, as 50 houses are still reported to be buried in a landslide that hit Malin village in Pune early on Wednesday.

23 persons are reported dead in an unexpected tragedy that visited this hamlet on the outskirts of Pune, while 150 people are still feared to be trapped in the debris, NDRF team informed.

Meanwhile, eight persons have been rescued by the team from the debris early on Thursday.

The union home minister Rajnath Singh has visited the tragedy site on Thursday morning and announced ‘all kind of helps’ to the victims of this natural calamity.

Due to heavy showers since past night, Jambulwadi Lake in Pune which was menacingly overflowing – triggered water-logging in Ambegaon village making it difficult for the NDRF team to carry out rescue operation.

“There is mud and sludge all around which hinders debris clearance. And heavy downpour since yesterday has compounded the problem,” an NDRF official said.

The NDRF team is having tough time to access the affected area and until now managed to rescue people trapped in debris with great difficulty.