Raigad Landslide: NDRF Calls Off Rescue Operation After Four Days; Death Toll Reaches 27

JE News Desk: Four days after a massive landslide buried Irshalwadi village in Khalapur tehsil in Maharashtra’s Raigad district, leaving 27 dead, rescue operations were called off by the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) on Sunday.

“As decided by District Administration, other senior officials, & as briefed by Minister Uday Samant, the rescue operations have been called off and closed. Details of missing and the deceased can be obtained from the administration,” the NDRF said, as quoted by news agency ANI.

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The decision was taken in consultation with the district administration, other concerned authorities, as well as the residents, said state minister Uday Samant.

The officials also said that as many as 27 bodies have been recovered so far while 57 are untraceable. However, no bodies were recovered from the debris on Sunday, as reported by news agency PTI.

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Earlier on Wednesday, a landslide hit Irshalwadi village in Maharashtra’s Raigad district, which is situated on a top of a fort. Due to heavy rainfall in the area, rescue operations to find the missing people were adversely affected.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde earlier visited the landslide-hit Irshalwadi village and said that the inclement weather has been creating problems for the rescue operations.

Earlier in the day, NDRF and other agencies resumed the search operations for the fourth day at Irshalwadi village, nearly 80 kilometres away from Mumbai.

Meanwhile, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued an ‘orange’ alert for heavy to very heavy rainfall at isolated places in Palghar, Ratnagiri, Raigad, and Sindhudurg districts. The alert was issued for July 24.