Irshalwadi landslide toll 27; officials to take a call on continuing rescue operations by Monday

With scant hopes for retrieval of the people trapped under the debris, the state government is expected to take a call by Monday on whether to continue the ongoing rescue and search operation or call it off, officials said here

Mumbai: Nearly three days after a massive landslide triggered by heavy rainfall buried Irshalwadi, a hilly tribal village in Khalapur tehsil of Raigad district, the toll rose to 27 on Saturday evening. 78 are still feared missing. The toll was 16 on Thursday evening.

Mumbai, India - July 20, 2023: rescue operations are going on where people trapped under rubble after landslide in Khalapur Irshalwadi Village in Raigad, Maharashtra, India, on Thursday, July 20, 2023. (Photo by Satish Bate/ Hindustan Times) (Hindustan Times)

The rescuers are racing against time to locate the missing persons amid difficult terrain and harsh weather conditions. With scant hopes for retrieval of the people trapped under the debris, the state government is expected to take a call by Monday on whether to continue the ongoing rescue and search operation or call it off, officials said here.

“The rescue and search teams retrieved six bodies on Saturday taking the death toll to 27. We have 124 people identified alive, of them 73 people from the hamlet at shelter camp at the base of the Irshalwadi, 31 students in residential schools. 16 villagers are at their relatives, 4 are admitted to the hospital and 78 are still missing. The population of the hamlet, as per the latest figures, was 229. The decision over the ongoing rescue and search operation is likely to be taken on Monday,” said an official from the relief and rehabilitation department.

“The weather conditions at the site were as bad as it was for the two days. We face difficulties in the operations as well. The decision over the continuation of the operation will be taken by the district administration,” said Deepak Tiwari, deputy commandant, NDRF.

“The decision on the continuation of the operation will be taken on Sunday or Monday in consultation with higher-ups in the government,” said Yogesh Mhase, district collector, Raigad.

According to the officials, the decision over calling off the rescue operation was taken after 72 hours.

“The bodies buried under the sledge have started decaying. There is no possibility of retrieval of the people alive, though it will be a political decision taken keeping the emotions of the people in mind. The district administration will send a report to the chief minister and deputy chief ministers Sunday and the decision is expected to be taken on Monday morning,” said another officer from the district administration.

The officer said that the relatives of the people that have gone missing are still hopeful and these expectations need to be addressed.

Meanwhile, the district administration shifted 366 people from 147 families in six villages that have been declared landslide prone in Geographic Information System mapping. Of the 1,397 people living in 392 households in these six villages, 1,031 in 245 families have already shifted.