Maharashtra: Khalapur Landslide in Raigad Causes Many to Be Trapped, Killing Four; Death Toll to Rise

As many as 50 households might be trapped following a landslide in Maharashtra’s Irsalvadi hamlet during the night between Wednesday and Thursday amid persistent rain.

News18 was informed by officials that although some individuals have been rescued, many more are still trapped. Dada Bhuse and Uday Samant, state ministers, are on the scene, and NDRF is handling the relief efforts.

A report on News18 Lokmat claims that although some individuals managed to escape unharmed, some are thought to be dead. According to officials, a large number of people are still stranded due to the intense rain, which makes it difficult to continue the rescue effort quickly.

“Reaching the location requires a two-hour climb, which poses a significant challenge for us,” said Yogesh Mhase, the Raigad district collector.

People living on the side of the Morbe Dam in the Raigad area are claimed to have been particularly heavily struck by the disaster, which occurred between 11:30 pm and 12 am.

In Irsalvadi, there are around 46–50 dwellings, of which 25 people have been successfully evacuated despite the continuous rain, according to information provided by Uday Samant. Eknath Shinde, the chief minister of Maharashtra, he said, is always keeping an eye on the situation.

Mahendra Kalyankar, the divisional commissioner, said that he called Chief Minister Shinde and had a video conference with all of the officials about midnight.

In accordance with reports from the scene, four of the 60 trapped persons had already passed away. Under the rubble, there are also a lot of livestock. The head of state has arrived at Irsalgarh.

THE LATEST RAIN UPDATE IS HERE:

• According to a report in the Hindustan Times, four ambulances and two NDRF teams, each with 25 people, are on the scene of the landslide. At Chauk’s Rural Health Unit, four ambulances are prepared, along with a Taluka Health Officer and four physicians.

• According to the report, Rohit Chandrakant Pawar, the deputy chairman of the Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi party in Khalapur, was among the first people to arrive at the scene after midnight. He was reported stating, “We have rescued three people and are bringing them down to the foothills,” late at night.

• On Tuesday, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued a “red” signal for the districts of Raigad and Palghar, indicating the potential for severe to very heavy rain on Wednesday. Thane, Ratnagiri, and Pune were each given a “orange” warning by the meteorological service.

• Due to the district’s continued ‘orange’ alert status till July 21, the Raigad government has declared a vacation for all schools and institutions. On Wednesday, one NDRF team each was sent to Palghar and Raigarh (Mahad).

• The Rasayani police station was submerged to the knees in water due to the nonstop rain, prompting officers to move sensitive papers to a more secure place.

After three days of nonstop rain, the River Savitri in the Raigad area was inundated. At 7 am on Wednesday, the river had reached 6.50 meters and had surpassed the danger threshold, flooding low-lying portions of Mahad.

Due to the massive rainfall in the Khalapur region near Karjat, the Patalganga River has also reached the danger threshold. In Raigad’s Lohap Mouje hamlet, the river was flowing at a rate of 21.52 meters, which caused a flood-like condition in the Apta region.