Difficult topography of landslide-hit area in Maharashtra village poses hurdles for rescue teams

Search and rescue personnel at the site of a massive landslide in Maharashtra's Raigad district were facing hurdles due to the difficult hill terrain of the area where heavy equipment cannot be moved, an official said on Thursday.

The landslide, which claimed five lives, occurred late Wednesday night on a hilltop in Irshalwadi village after torrential rains in the area.

A small approach road leading to hutments in the area has been slippery due to the rains, the official said, adding heavy machinery like earth-movers and excavators cannot be taken there.

Also Read | Aerial surveillance likely to help locate those trapped after landslide in Maharashtra's Raigad

Irshalwadi is a tribal village inaccessible by pucca road. Chowk village on Mumbai-Pune Highway is the nearest town.

So far, the rescue and search operation is being conducted manually, the official said.

Two helicopters have been kept ready for the rescue operation, but they cannot take-off until the weather is clear, the official said.

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 there.

“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.

While 75 persons have so far been rescued, many are still feared trapped, as per officials.

Four teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) along with local authorities were engaged in rescue work, they said.

Fire brigade and some local trekkers were also helping in the rescue operation, an official said.

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.