Landslide hits Indian village, at least 17 killed

NEW DELHI (AP) — Torrential rains triggered a massive landslide that buried a remote village in western India today, killing at least 17 people as it swept away scores of houses and possibly trapping many more people under debris, officials said.

National rescue personnel reached the area before nightfall. But continuing rains and bad roads were hampering rescue efforts and preventing reinforcements from reaching Ambegaon, a village in Pune district in Maharashtra state, said Alok Avasthy, a National Disaster Response Force commander.

Rescuers planned to work overnight using floodlights mounted on two jeeps being sent from Pune along with earth-moving vehicles, according to Suresh Jadhav, a district official.

He said 17 bodies had been recovered from under mud, rocks, trees and other debris. "Everything on the mountain came down," he said.

But with 70 homes buried and reports of another 158 hit by the landslide, rescuers anticipated more dead in the village, home to 704 people in the foothills of the Sahyadri Mountains.

The landslide hit early this morning, but details of the damage only began to trickle out several hours later. The area received 10.8 centimeters (4.25 inches) of rain on Tuesday, with a heavy downpour continuing through today.