Mumbai: The death toll in the landslide at Irshalwadi hamlet in Maharashtra’s Raigad district climbed to 26 on Saturday with the search and rescue teams recovering four more bodies from the debris, an official said.
The bodies of three women and one man were recovered during the day, the official of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) said. “With the recovery of four bodies, the death toll in the landslide tragedy has now reached 26,” he said, adding that the search and rescue work is still underway as 82 persons are yet to be traced.
The deceased whose bodies were recovered on Saturday were identified as Mahi Madhu Tirkad (32), Aashi Pandurang (50), Bharati Madhu Bhutabra (18) and Kishan Tirkad (27), officials said.
Teams of the NDRF and other government agencies resumed their search and rescue operation at the landslide site, located in a hilly terrain, in the morning. This is the third day of the search operation.
The massive landslide hit Irshalwadi, a tribal village located on a hill slope in the coastal district, around 80 km from Mumbai, on Wednesday night. At least 17 of 48 houses in the village were fully or partially buried under the landslide debris.
As the village, overlooked by Irshalgad fort, a popular trekking destination, does not have a pucca road, earth movers and excavators could not be easily moved and the rescue operation is being carried out manually, officials said.
Meanwhile, around 45 people are reported stranded flood-hit Mahagaon taluka of Maharashtra’s Yavatmal district even as two Indian Air Force (IAF) helicopters have been called into service to rescue them, officials said today.
Heavy rains pummelled parts of Yavatmal since Friday, inundating houses and forcing people to seek shelter at higher ground.
Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis in a tweet said 45 people were stranded due to floods in Anandnagar village of Mahagaon taluka.
Two Indian Airforce helicopters will soon reach Nagpur and from there will leave for Mahagaon to rescue the stranded villagers, he said, adding that Mahagaon taluka recorded 231 mm rainfall.
Defence PRO Nagpur Wg Cdr Ratnakar Singh in a statement informed that a Mi-17 V5 helicopter is being inducted from Nagpur to evacuate people stranded due to floods in Yavatmal.
According to district authorities, Yavatmal city has been witnessing heavy rains since Friday night, which has flooded houses and roads in parts of the city.
People from the affected areas have been moved to safer places and the situation is under control in the city, which has recorded 117.5 mm rainfall since Friday night, collector Amol Yedge said.
A rescue team from the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) is on its way to Mahagaon to carry out rescue operation in Anandnagar village, he said.
(With PTI inputs)
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