india landslide
A mudslide surrounds a building in Pune district the western Indian state of Maharashtra STR/AFP/Getty Images

Scores of people are feared trapped under a landslide that buried some 50 houses in western India.

Rescues workers are trying to reach the village of Ambe, in the Pune district of Maharashtra state, to look for survivors.

More than 150 people have reportedly been buried by the landmass that swept the village.

Local commissioner Prabhakar Deshmukh said continuing rains and poor roads are slowing down rescue teams.

"There are constraints. It's a hilly area and heavy rains are still continuing," Deshmukh told CNN-IBN.

Meanwhile local residents have reportedly started to clear the debris.

"The exact number of causalities is not known as we are moving slowly to ensure that those trapped are removed safely," local official Saurav Rao told the Indian Express. "About 30 ambulances have been rushed from adjoining areas to extend medical help to the victims."

The landslide was said to be caused by heavy rains that lashed the region in recent days.

Pune is about 151km (94 miles) southeast of Mumbai. The area is not new to landslides especially during the monsoon season, which runs from June through September.