New Delhi, Jul 20 (EFE).- At least 10 people died and dozens remain trapped following a landslide in a village in western India, with rescue teams working around the clock to recover possible survivors, officials said Thursday.
This landslide occurred on Wednesday night in Maharashtra state’s Raigad district, which, like the rest of the region, has seen intense rains in recent days.
“The administration is trying to overcome all the hurdles and is doing relief and rescue work with full capacity. So far, 10 bodies have been found,” Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis tweeted in Hindi.
Several teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) have reached the site and, after initially facing difficulties due to the rainfall and the darkness, have been able to speed up the work of removing the debris.
The village, located in a mountainous region, consisted of at least 225 residents of whom authorities have been able to rescue more than 80, Fadnavis said in the regional parliament.
At least a hundred people remain trapped under the rubble, according to local media, while more than 60 NDRF troops and 500 workers continue with rescue efforts.
“Two Air Force helicopters are deployed. However, due to bad weather, the flight cannot be conducted,” Fadnavis added.
Maharashtra’s Chief Minister Eknath Shinde visited the scene of the incident on Thursday morning.
Only a few houses were still standing in the area, which was full of debris and uprooted trees, according to videos posted on social media.
Shinde said it was still difficult to determine the exact number of people still trapped, which initially exceeded 100.
He said that the rains had hindered the arrival of vehicles by road and prevented the use of helicopters in transferring the wounded to hospitals for the moment. EFE
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