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posted by: Niranjana VB
Last updated: July 22, 2023 at 23:03 IST
Rescue workers try to recover the body of a victim at the site of a landslide caused by heavy rains in Raigad district, western Maharashtra state, India (Image-AP)
Today’s search and rescue operation has been canceled due to poor lighting and inclement weather and is likely to resume Sunday morning.
The death toll from the landslide in the small village of Ershalwadi in Raigad district of Maharashtra state rose to 27 on Saturday, an official with the National Corrections Front said, as five more bodies were pulled from the rubble on the third day of the search and rescue operation.
He said 81 people have yet to be traced.
Today’s search and rescue operation has been canceled due to poor lighting and bad weather and is likely to resume Sunday morning.
The official said that four of the five bodies have been identified, while the identity and type of body found later in the day are still unknown.
“With five bodies recovered today, the death toll from the landslide tragedy has reached 27,” said an official with the National Disaster Response Force.
Earlier in the day, the four people whose bodies were recovered from the rubble were identified as Mahi Madhu Terkad (32 years old), Ashi Pandurang (50 years old), Bharathi Madhu Puttapra (18 years old) and Kishan Turkad (27 years old), according to officials.
The rescue is carried out by hand as it was not easy to transport the earthworkers and rigs to the village, which, in the absence of Boca Road, is overlooked by Ershalqed Castle, a popular trekking destination.
Officials said that of the 27 bodies found so far, there are 12 women, 10 men and four children, while one person remains unidentified.
Nine family members died in the disaster.
Saturday morning, teams from NDRF and other government agencies have resumed search and rescue operations at the site of the landslide in Raigad district.
The massive landslide hit Erchalwadi, a tribal village located on a hillside in the coastal region, about 80 km from Mumbai, on Wednesday evening. At least 17 of the 48 houses in the village were completely or partially buried under the rubble.
Earlier today, Chief Shiv Sena Uddhav Thackeray met the people of Irchalwadi.
He said people living in landslide-prone areas in Maharashtra should be moved to safer locations.
Not just Irsahlwadi. “All these gatherings in neighboring villages or areas must be rehabilitated,” he said.
The former prime minister said he planned a plan to rehabilitate villages residing in landslide-prone areas to safer places.
(This story was not edited by the News18 staff and was published from a syndicated news agency feed – PTI)
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