Maha: Search ops called off in landslide-hit Taliye village, 31 declared dead

The deadliest landslide in Mahad Taluka of Raigad in Maharashtra's Konkan region occurred last Thursday following heavy rains, demolishing numerous houses in the area.

The hunt for 31 missing individuals in Taliye village, which was wrecked by a major landslide following heavy rains last week, was called off by the Raigad district government on Monday.

Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray visits flood-affected to assess the extent of damage and ongoing relief operation on Sunday.

So far, 53 people have died and five have been injured in the area, while 31 people are still missing and will be confirmed dead after proper process, according to district Collector Nidhi Chaudhari.

On Saturday, chief minister Uddhav Thackeray paid a visit to the village, saying since landslides had killed people in many parts of the state, the government will devise a strategy to permanently transfer those who live in hilly regions. According to the state government, 71 people died in the rain-soaked Raigad district, while 53 people still missing.

The decision to call off the search operation, according to the collector, was made after consulting with the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and the state's and neighbouring Thane district's disaster response forces. "The rescue operations have ended officially. We have withdrawn our teams from Taliye. The 31 missing will be declared dead following the due process...relatives of the missing people demanded closure of the operations since yesterday," reported by the collector.

Respecting sentiments of the survivors and relatives of the missing people, the operations to search for the 31 missing people have been officially called off, she added.