BERHAMPUR: Rescue teams at the landslide-ravaged Gidipabali hamlet in Ganjam district identified a second victim after a portion of his body surfaced during blasting operations to break massive boulders on Monday.
The victim was identified as Sanman Pradhan (29), one of the 12 villagers who went missing after the devastating landslide hit Gidipabali on October 28. However, his body could not be retrieved as it remained deeply buried under a massive deposit of mud and sludge.
During operations to break huge boulders obstructing the rescue operation, a human hand emerged from beneath the debris, alerting the rescue teams. It was subsequently identified as belonging to Sanman.
An official said the body was in advanced state of decomposition and deeply embedded in the sludge, making its retrieval an extremely delicate operation. The rescuers would have to exercise utmost caution to recover it without causing further damage. The search operation was suspended in the evening due to darkness and will resume on Tuesday morning.
The rescue operation faced serious challenge given the size of the boulders while movement of equipment to the site has proved an onerous task. “Some of the boulders are as big as a room and require controlled blast using specific drill heads,” said an official.
The drill heads required for controlled blast need to be fitted to a tractor vehicle but taking such a vehicle to the site was proving to be an impossible task in that terrain. However, sources said, a new strategy has been devised to carry out controlled blasting which will be carried out tomorrow.
According to reports, when the hillside began collapsing on October 28, villagers of Gidipabali rushed towards higher ground in an attempt to save their lives.
While 14 people managed to reach the hilltop and subsequently made their way to a relief shelter in Raikia block of Kandhamal district, another 12 were trapped under the cascading mud and boulders.
Sanman was among those who initially escaped towards the hilltop but returned to his house to collect his mobile phone and baby food (Lactogen), only to get trapped in the landslide. His wife Rinima Pradhan survived along with their two children and is now staying at the relief camp.
The body of another victim, Ravi Mallik (52), was recovered on Saturday. With the identification of Sanman, the death toll in the devastating landslide has been confirmed as two, said Ganjam collector V Keerthi Vasan. Ten other villagers remain missing.
The search operation is being carried out with a massive deployment of around 160 personnel from six agencies, supported by specialised equipment, sniffer dogs and local labourers. Two Special Operations Group (SoG) teams comprising 42 personnel, an ODRAF team with 15 members, two NDRF teams with 34 personnel and four officers have been engaged in the operation. Besides, 35 fire services personnel, 35 railway employees and a 12-member team from the Animal Husbandry department have been deployed.
Three sniffer dogs - Rocky and Vicky of the NDRF and Sultan of the fire services - are assisting the teams in locating victims buried beneath the debris. Three railway engineering teams are also providing technical support.