Pune: Three persons lost their lives after a massive landslide, triggered by incessant rainfall, buried a house in Patan village of Maval taluka early Monday.
According to officials, members of the Tikone family, including Mauli Tikone, Nandu Tikone and Anita Tikone, were inside the house when the landslide struck at around 4.25 am. A large section of the hillside collapsed, sending mud, rocks and debris crashing onto the house, completely burying it and trapping the occupants.
Rescue teams from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), along with the police, fire brigade and district administration, rushed to the spot and launched an intensive rescue operation using heavy machinery.
After several hours of search efforts, rescuers recovered the bodies of all three victims from the debris. Officials said the operation continued to ensure that no additional persons were trapped beneath the rubble, according to deputy superintendent of police (Lonavla division), Gajanan Tompe.
A neighbour said the house was standing until around 4 am, but within minutes a loud explosion-like sound was heard before it disappeared beneath a huge mound of earth. Residents alerted the authorities and attempted to help, but the sheer volume of debris made rescue efforts impossible until emergency teams arrived.
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