Mumbai, Jul 19 (IANS): A five-member family was wiped out while three others rescued when a portion of a hillock caved and crushed several hutments in a suburb of Maharashrastra's Thane on Monday, officials said.

The incident in Kalwa suburb occurred this afternoon, as heavy rains continued to batter Mumbai and Thane, when loose rocks and soil from the Gholainagar hillock in Parsik Hills locality suddenly started moving and falling on the huts below, catching many of the victims unawares.

While the locals managed to rescue three persons, teams of the SDRM, Thane DRF, Fire Brigade and others later retrieved the bodies of five members of a single family living in a tenement which was one of the two that bore the brunt of the mudslide.

Housing Minister Jitendra Awhad, civic and district officials and others rushed to the site to supervise the relief and rescue operations in which 150 other families from surrounding hutments have been shifted to safer locations.

After interacting with the survivors and the locals, Awhad warned that strict action would be taken against those indulging in illegal construction activities in such vulnerable areas.

The victims who perished in the tragedy are: Sudam P. Yadav, 45, his wife Vidhavatidevi, 40, and their children Ravikisan, 12, Simran, 10 and Sandhya, 3.

Two others who sustained injuries were rushed to the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Hospital in Kalwa where their condition was stable.