Rescuers on Sunday called off a search for survivors of a landslide that hit Irshalwadi village in Maharashtra’s Raigad district, killing 27 people and leaving 57 untraceable, PTI reported.
At least 17 of 48 houses in village were fully or partially buried in the landslide, which occurred on Wednesday night after incessant rainfall in the region. The village is estimated to have been home to at least 228 people.
The authorities counted 144 persons as rescued or not present in the village during the landslide, The Indian Express reported.
“We have verified with the surviving family members and other relatives of those living in the village,” Maharashtra minister Uday Samant told reporters on Sunday. “It can be said that 57 persons remain untraced and it is likely that they are buried under the debris.”
The authorities have imposed Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure barring the assembly of more than four persons in the village. “We have deployed an officer and three constables to guard the landslide spot,” a police official from Raigad district told PTI.
Meanwhile, 19 persons have died in the last 10 days in Maharashtra’s Vidarbha region, where nearly 4,500 houses were damaged due to heavy rainfall, PTI reported.
In the Nagpur division, three deaths each were reported from Gadchiroli and Bhandara districts, Wardha and Gondia reported two deaths each and Chandrapur reported one death since July 13, officials said.
The Amravati division recorded five deaths on a single day on July 21 due to heavy rainfall. Among these, three were reported from Yavatmal, followed by Akola and Buldhana recording one death each. On July 22, three persons died in Amravati district after being swept away in flood waters.
Rains and flooding have also damaged 2,882 houses in the Amravati division, including 1,432 in Yavatmal, 1,424 in Akola, 14 in Washim and 12 in Amravati, according to a report from the Amravati divisional commissionerate, reported PTI. Fifty-nine animals died in the Amravati division due lightning and floods.
Around 54,000 hectares of agricultural land has been damaged due to rainfall. More than 53,000 hectares is located in the Amravati division alone, where 2,796 people, mostly in Yavatmal district were shifted to relief camps.
State Relief and Rehabilitation Minister Anil Patil visited Yavatmal on Sunday, reported PTI. The minister announced an assistance of Rs 4 lakh to the families of each of the deceased.
Some parts of the state have received the average cumulative rainfall of 15 to 20 days in just two to three days, Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said on Sunday. He added that weather alerts are being given to local administration where heavy rainfall is expected and teams of the National and State Disaster Response Force are being deployed.
Limited-time offer: Big stories, small price. Keep independent media alive. Become a Scroll member today!
Our journalism is for everyone. But you can get special privileges by buying an annual Scroll Membership. Sign up today!