Rescue Operations Resume At Maharashtra Landslide Site; 16 Dead, 119 Still Missing

The search and rescue operation at Irshalwadi hamlet in Maharashtra's Raigad district has resumed on Friday (July 21) morning, following a massive landslide that buried several houses and tragically claimed the lives of at least 16 people so far.

The landslide occurred around 11 pm on Wednesday at the tribal village, which is located on a hill slope in the coastal district, approximately 80 km from Mumbai.

Out of the 228 residents of the village, the bodies of 16 have been recovered, while 93 residents have been found, according to an official.

Unfortunately, there are still 119 villagers who have not been located. This includes individuals who had left the village to attend a wedding or to work in rice plantations, as mentioned by the official.

The scale of the devastation is evident, with 17 out of the nearly 50 houses in the village being flattened by the landslide, according to officials.

The operation for the second day at the remote village was initiated by the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) along with teams of Raigad police and local authorities.

This morning, four NDRF teams, along with the Thane Disaster Response Force (TDRF), local disaster management authorities, and Raigad police, started the operation at the landslide site.

Raigad Superintendent of Police Somanth Gharge confirmed that the search operation began at 6.30 am. To assist in the search operation, a dog squad has been brought in by the NDRF.

Sixteen dead bodies were recovered from the landslide on Thursday (July 20), with 21 people successfully rescued by the search and rescue teams.

Among the deceased were four children aged one to four years, as well as a 70-year-old individual. Additionally, seven individuals are currently receiving treatment at different hospitals.

The search and rescue personnel at the site encountered obstacles due to the challenging hill terrain, which made it difficult to maneuver heavy equipment.

Notably, the ongoing search and rescue operation has been hampered by incessant rain, fog, and strong winds at the hilltop, posing further challenges for those involved.

From the base of the hill, it takes approximately one-and-a-half hours to reach Irshalwadi due to the absence of a proper road in the village. This also means that earth movers and excavators cannot be easily transported, resulting in manual operations, according to an official.

On Thursday evening, the search and rescue operation at the landslide site had to be halted by the NDRF personnel due to unfavorable weather conditions.