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Raigad Landslide: Search Operation Enters Day 3; 22 Dead, 86 People Still Missing

As per media reports, the death toll till Thursday evening was 16, which mounted to 22 on Friday as six more bodies were recovered. According to the officials, the deceased included nine men, as many women and four children.

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NDRF personnel carrying out search and rescue operation in Raigad
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Search and rescue opration at Maharashtra's landslide-hit Irshalwadi hamlet in Raigad entered third day at in Maharashtra's Raigad district.

"The search and rescue operation by the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and other government agencies resumed for the third day on Saturday morning," a police official said.

According to the officials, the massive landslide claimed the lives of at least 22 people so far.

The landslide at the tribal village, situated on a hill slope under Khalapur tehsil that is located around 80 km from Mumbai, occurred on Wednesday night.

As per media reports, the death toll till Thursday evening was 16, which mounted to 22 on Friday as six more bodies were recovered. According to the officials, the deceased included nine men, as many women and four children.

Search and rescue operation status

According to the NDRF officials, the search operation was suspended around 6 pm on Friday due to heavy rains.

"Four NDRF teams and other agencies resumed the operation this morning," he said.

So far, At least 17 of 48 houses in the village, located on a hill slope, 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.

As many as 60 containers have been requisitioned to be used as transit camps for the survivors and 40 of them have already reached the location, a release issued on Friday by the office of the Deputy Director of Publicity, Konkan division, said.

In addition, 20 temporary toilets and an equal number of bathrooms have been prepared at the site, it said.