Maharashtra Landslide, Over 30 Families Trapped: 5 Things To Know

A massive landslide took place late Wednesday night, in the Raigad district of Maharashtra due to incessant rains from the past 24 hours.

The death toll has currently reached 5 with 3 people gravely injured. While rescue operations are underway, Industries Minister Uday Samant announced that more than 75 people were rescued from the site of the incident. It's believed that over 30 families are still trapped amidst the debris. 

Maharashtra Landslide

1. The Irshwadi village of Khalapur Tehsil in Raigad, Maharashtra, was affected by incessant rains for the past 24 hours. The landslide took place killing 5, and injuring 3, with around 30 families still feared to be trapped. The incident occurred around 10:30 pm in the area connecting Irsalgad to Raigad, and due to the inaccessibility in the remote area, the rescue operation was hampered to some extent.

2. NDRF and district administration are working continuously on rescue operations as informed by Minister Samant who is at the site, coordinating the operation. 

3. NDRF said more than 15-20 houses out of 40 in the village are buried under the debris caused by landslides while at some places debris is 10 to 29 feet deep. As the site of the accident is at a trek of 2.9 km it is difficult to take heavy machines and the debris will have to be removed manually, informed by S.B Singh, commander of the 5th battalion of NDRF. 

4. The tribal hamlet where the incident took place is home to a famous trekking site at Irsalgad Fort. The route to the incident site is difficult and is around an hour's walk. Chief Minister Eknath Shinde has reached the accident site and announced relief money of 5 lakh rupees to the affected families. CM also said that the village was not listed in the landslide-prone areas of the state. 

5. While the district was put on orange alert for the past two days, the area was lashed with heavy incessant rainfalls for more than 24 hours with predictions of yet more rainfall by the State Disaster Management Authority. Schools in the district are currently closed.

#WATCH | Maharashtra: Rescue operation underway by NDRF after a landslide occurred in Irshalwadi village of Khalapur tehsil of Raigad district.

According to the Raigad police, four people have died and three others have been injured. pic.twitter.com/z14SKMjyuK

— ANI (@ANI) July 20, 2023

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#WATCH | Maharashtra: Rescue operation underway by NDRF after a landslide occurred in Irshalwadi village of Khalapur tehsil of Raigad district.

According to the Raigad police, four people have died and three others have been injured. pic.twitter.com/z14SKMjyuK

— ANI (@ANI) July 20, 2023

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