India: Death toll rises to 27 in Maharashtra landslide, rescue efforts called off with many still missing

Indian rescuers in the state of Maharashtra’s Raigad district, where a massive landslide led to the death of at least 27 people, called off the search and rescue efforts, on Sunday (July 23). This comes as nearly 60 people are still missing, said the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) official. 

The landslide occurred in Raigad district’s Irshalwadi village on July 19 amid torrential rains in the region at around 11:00 pm (local time). The village is situated on a hill slope under Khalapur tehsil which is located around 80 kilometres from the Indian financial capital city of  Mumbai. 

Irshalwadi village is said to be home to at least 225 people out of which, more than 80 managed to escape.

At least 228 people have been affected by the landslide, according to state minister Uday Samant. 

Addressing a press conference, Samant, who is also the guardian minister of Raigad, said that the decision to call off the search and rescue operations was taken after consulting the district administration and other concerned authorities, as well as local residents.

According to officials, 27 bodies have been recovered from the debris by the NDRF and other social organisations who were engaged in relief and rescue work for four days now. However, nobody was found from the debris on Sunday, reported the Indian media citing officials. 

Additionally, the bodies of 12 men, 10 women and four children are yet to be identified, according to the officials. They added that nine members of a family had perished in the disaster. 

The landslide also caused around 17 of the 48 houses in the village, which is at least an hour away from a motorable road, to be fully or partially buried due to the debris, as per media reports. 

Meanwhile, Indian minister Samant has said that those affected will be given houses by the City and Industrial Development Corporation. He added that in a bid to avoid future tragedies, five villages will be rehabilitated and a total of 20 villages will be surveyed. 

Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde will “adopt” the 22 children who have lost their parents due to the Irshalwadi landslide, said the state’s legislative council deputy chairperson Neelam Gorhe, on Saturday. 

The  Shrikant Shinde Foundation, an NGO run by the CM’s son and member of parliament Dr Shrikant Shinde, will adopt and bear their education and other expenses till they attain adulthood. “Several children who were at the ashram schools have lost their parents. These children are in the age group of 2 to 15 years,” said Dr Shinde, in a statement on Twitter. 

He added, “Taking this into consideration, Dr Shrikant Shinde Foundation has decided to support all the children who have been orphaned in the Irshalwadi landslide.” 

(With inputs from agencies) 


 

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