MUMBAI: AT least 16 people were killed after a massive landslide hit Irshalwadi, a remote tribal village in Maharashtra’s Raigad district, late on Wednesday night amid torrential rains. Over 100 people were rescued by the NDRF team, which had to halt search operations on Thursday evening due to downpour.
Irshalwadi is a small hamlet located at the foothill of a mountain. There is no motorable road to reach the location. The region received 499 mm rainfall from July 17 to 19, Maharashtra deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar said.
“Irshalwadi is one of the isolated locations. From the main road, it takes more than two hours to reach the spot, but the NDRF teams and local NGOs and trekkers rushed to the spot, rescued trapped people and pulled out bodies. Forty-eight families were staying in the area, which has a population of 228,” Pawar added.
According to reports, the landslide buried as many as 17 houses, with the debris and rubbles mounting up to 15-20 feet. The Maharashtra government has announced Rs 5 lakh financial help to the families of the deceased.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, who visited the spot by walking for more than an hour, said alternative shelter will be provided to the affected people. Shinde said authorities were unable to bring adequate machinery to carry out rescue operation due to difficult terrain and bad weather.
‘Not on landslide prone areas list’
Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde reached the remote tribal village by walking through a muddy path for more than an hour. “Irshalwadi was not on the list of landslide-prone villages,” he said