Landslide Strikes Raigad, Maharashtra: 5 Dead, Numerous Families Trapped

A tragic incident occurred in Irsalwadi, a tribal hamlet in Maharashtra's Raigad district, late on Wednesday night when a landslide struck the area amid incessant rains over the past 24 hours. As a result, five people lost their lives, and several others are feared to be trapped under the debris.

Search and rescue operations have been initiated, and up until now, 75 people have been successfully rescued, according to Industries Minister Uday Samant. The situation remains challenging due to the remote and inaccessible location of the hamlet, making it difficult for rescue teams to reach the site promptly.

Industries Minister Uday Samant, who is at the location coordinating the rescue efforts, stated that the incident occurred around 10:30 pm in an area adjoining Irsalgad. The region has seen heavy rainfall, leading to the landslide. As of now, four people have been confirmed dead, and 25 others have been rescued. However, there are concerns that more people might still be trapped, and the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and district administration are working tirelessly to rescue them.

The landslide buried around 15 to 20 houses under debris, affecting a total of 17 houses out of the 40 in the village. NDRF has deployed four teams for the rescue operations, but the difficult terrain and deep debris, ranging from 10 to 29 feet, make it challenging to bring in heavy machinery for assistance. The teams have to manually remove the debris, which will likely take a considerable amount of time. Despite the challenges, the NDRF is determined to continue their efforts until all the victims are retrieved.

The hamlet is located near Irsalgad fort, a well-known trekking destination, which has made the rescue operations more arduous due to the continuous rains and the need for rescue teams to trek over an hour from the nearest accessible road to reach the hamlet.

Upon the incident, Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde visited the spot early on Thursday morning and offered Rs 5 lakh relief to the families of the deceased. He also mentioned that the affected village was not previously listed as landslide-prone.

The central government, led by Home Minister Amit Shah, has offered all possible assistance, including the deployment of helicopters for rescue attempts. However, the current weather conditions make it challenging to use helicopters. The disaster site's location has resulted in difficulties in deploying heavy machinery for the search and rescue operations, necessitating manual efforts for the time being.

As per preliminary information, the village comprises 48 families, and so far, 75 individuals have been rescued, while five have tragically lost their lives. The district had been on an orange alert for the past two days due to intense spells of rainfall, with more predicted in the coming days. As a precautionary measure, the State Disaster Management Authority has declared a holiday for schools in Raigad district on July 20 due to predictions of heavy to very heavy rain.