Six dead in Raigad landslide, Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde announces ₹5 lakh compensation

The district administration has appealed to NGOs to come forward and assist the NDRF in the rescue operation following the landslide.

Six people have died, three are injured, and over 30 families are feared trapped after a landslide occurred in Maharashtra's Raigad district on late Wednesday night, where around 46 houses of a tribal hamlet are located. Chief Minister Eknath Shinde reached the site and spoke to personnel engaged in rescue operations. He also announced a compensation of ₹5 lakh each for the families of the deceased and said that the government will bear the cost of treatment of the injured.

Search and rescue operation underway after a landslide at Irshalwadi village in Raigad district, Thursday, (PTI)

Officials said among these, five to six houses were able to escape the damage, and one school was also undamaged. The incident took place at Khalapur in Raigad, which is 6 km away from Chowk village near Morbe dam, the water supplier for Navi Mumbai.

Amid incessant rain in parts of the state, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has on Thursday issued a “red alert” for Raigad. The district administration has appealed to NGOs to come forward and assist the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) in the rescue operation following the landslide incident.

Watch | Flash Floods, Landslides Wash Away Houses, Bridges & Cars In Himachal

Raigad district collector Yogesh Mhase said that the incident happened at midnight, and a team comprising a sub-divisional officer and Tahsildar of Khopoli has reached the spot where they spotted seven people who managed to recover and flee. “Reaching the location requires a two-hour climb, which poses a significant challenge for us,” said Mhase.

Divisional commissioner Mahendra Kalyankar said that he had a video conference of all officers around midnight and also received a call from the chief minister Eknath Shinde regarding the landslide.

Raigad's superintendent of police Somnath Gharge said that he has issued alerts to all hospitals in Panvel and Navi Mumbai following the landslide to ensure that the injured can receive immediate medical care.

Rescue operation

Two teams of NDRF, each consisting of 25 members were dispatched for the rescue operation at the landslide site, and four ambulances reached the spot. Four ambulances are ready at the Rural Health Unit in Chauk with the Taluka Health Officer and four doctors.

Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi party's vice chief in Khalapur, Rohit Chandrakant Pawar, who was one of the first ones to reach the spot, said, “We have rescued three persons and are bringing them down to the foothills.”

Pawar further said that nearly ten to twelve persons who were taking refuge in a local school were saved and five people who had gone fishing at Morbe dam at night were also rescued.

Deputy collectors Dattatray Navale and Sarjerao Sonawane have been deputed as officers on special duty (OSD) for medical aid and rescue and shelter arrangement operations, respectively.

This is a developing story. Please refresh for updates.

(With inputs from Yogesh Naik)