The death toll in Maharashtra's Malin village landslide has reached 51. Rescue and relief work is being hampered by rain. Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh visited the grief stricken village yesterday and assured all possible central assistance to cope with the tragedy.

He announced a financial assistance of two lakh rupees from the Prime Minister's relief fund to the next of kin of the deceased in Wednesday's tragedy in Pune district. He emphasized the need to strike a balance between environment and development to prevent such calamities in future.

Meanwhile, the Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan said in Mumbai that people living in dangerous locations across the state, which are prone to landslides, would have to be shifted elsewhere and rehabilitated. He was speaking to the media last evening after the Cabinet meeting. Official sources said that the state government is likely to order a probe into the incident and announce compensation after a detailed report of the devastation is prepared by the state's relief and rehabilitation department as well as cleared by the Cabinet next week.