Death toll rises to ten after a landslide in Maharashtra’s Raigad district, Maharashtra deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis said on Thursday. NDRF teams have rushed to the site amid reports of at least 100 persons feared to be trapped, the official said.
The landslide occurred around 11 pm on Wednesday at Irshalwadi village in Khalapur tehsil, the official said.
Over 20 persons injured in the landslide have been admitted to a hospital in Navi Mumbai, the official said initially.
What did CM Shinde say?
Chief Minister Eknath Shinde reached the site and spoke to personnel engaged in rescue operations.
“This village was not in the list of landslide-prone villages,” he told reporters.
“Our priority now is to rescue those still trapped beneath the rubble,” he said.
Helicopters will be used to send the machinery to the spot for rescue operation, the CM said.
Search and rescue operations underway
According to an official, search and rescue personnel at the site of a massive landslide in Maharashtra's Raigad district were facing adversities due to the difficult hill terrain of the area where moving the heavy equipments is a real challenge.
Two helicopters have been kept ready for the rescue operation, but they cannot take-off until the weather is clear, he added.
It has also been reported that fire brigade and some local trekkers were also helping in the rescue operation.
The village has around 50 houses, of which 17 were buried under the landslide, the official said.
The NDRF personnel recovered one body from the landslide spot, while four bodies were recovered by rescue teams earlier.
So far, 21 people have been shifted to various hospitals for treatment, an official said.
Authorities have set up a control room at the base of Irshalwadi, he said.
