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A devastating landslide occurred in Maharashtra’s Raigad district late last night, resulting in ten fatalities, while over 100 individuals are feared to be trapped. The tragic incident took place near Khalapur, where a tribal hamlet with several houses is situated. Thankfully, 75 people have been successfully evacuated thus far.
The landslide was caused by a massive amount of soil and rocks tumbling down from a hill, burying approximately 30 houses in the remote village of Irsalwadi. This village rests atop a hill, making access difficult, as there is only a challenging 1 km trek as the route.
Chief Minister Eknath Shinde arrived at the scene this morning to assess the situation. He is in consultation with officials to expedite rescue efforts and ensure the safe evacuation of those trapped beneath the debris.
The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) promptly deployed two teams for search and rescue operations, and two additional teams from Mumbai have joined the mission.
Despite facing treacherous conditions, personnel from the NDRF, Navi Mumbai fire brigade, and police reached the landslide site on foot. Tragically, there are reports of one fire brigade personnel losing their life while attempting to reach the site.
To aid the search and rescue operations, two helicopters are on standby at Santacruz Airport in Mumbai. However, adverse weather conditions have so far prevented their deployment. Currently, there are 150 NDRF and 500 CIDCo personnel on the ground, but the steep slope of the area is posing a significant challenge in reaching the location where the missing individuals are believed to be. The terrain’s slipperiness makes it even more difficult, requiring 60-90 minutes to reach the spot.
