A devastating landslide struck Raigad district in Maharashtra late on Wednesday night, leaving five people dead and triggering fears for the safety of several families trapped under the debris.
The incident occurred at Irshalwadi village in Khalapur Tehsil, a tribal hamlet situated close to the popular trekking destination, Irsalgad fort. The region has been battered by incessant rains over the past 24 hours, further complicating rescue efforts.
As per official reports, at least 15-20 families are feared trapped in the landslide, which has affected a significant portion of the village. Authorities and rescue teams have been working tirelessly to locate survivors and retrieve those trapped under the debris. As of now, 75 people have been successfully rescued from the disaster site.
Industries Minister Uday Samant, who is personally supervising the rescue operations, stated, “It is a very remote and inaccessible area, which is hampering our efforts. As of now, 4 people have lost their lives, and 25 people have been rescued. However, more people are feared to be trapped, and both the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and district administration are making relentless attempts to rescue them.”
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The NDRF has deployed four teams to conduct the rescue operations, but they are encountering numerous challenges due to the difficult terrain. S B Singh, Commandant of the fifth battalion of the NDRF, elaborated, “The debris is 10 to 29 feet deep at some places, and bringing in heavy machinery is proving to be arduous. Rescuers have to manually remove the debris, and the process is time-consuming. Despite these difficulties, we are committed to continue our efforts until the last person is retrieved.”
The location of the affected hamlet and the ongoing heavy rainfall have made rescue operations even more challenging, with rescue teams having to walk for over an hour from the nearest accessible road to reach the disaster site.
Upon learning of the tragedy, Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde visited the spot early on Thursday morning and announced a relief of Rs 5 lakh to the kin of the deceased persons.
Shinde said, “I received a call from Home Minister Amit Shah assuring all possible help from the centre including deployment of helicopters for the rescue attempt. However, due to the weather conditions, it is difficult to use helicopters as of now. Because of the location of the disaster site, we are facing problems in deploying heavy machinery to facilitate the search and rescue operations and everything is being done manually.”
Home Minister Devendra Fadnavis, through a tweet, provided preliminary information indicating that 48 families reside in the village, and out of them, 75 people have been rescued, while five casualties have been reported thus far.
The Raigad district has been on an orange alert for the past two days due to intense spells of rainfall, with predictions of more downpours in the region. As a precautionary measure, the State Disaster Management Authority has declared a holiday for schools in Raigad district on July 20.
The situation remains critical as rescue teams work relentlessly to locate and save the trapped families. The authorities are urging everyone to exercise caution and follow safety advisories during this period of heavy rainfall and potential landslides.