IRSHALWADI, India: The death toll from a massive landslide in western India rose to 16 late on Thursday (Jul 20), as rescue operations were suspended with around 100 people still feared trapped, officials said.
Land gave way in the middle of the night in the remote mountain hamlet of Irshalwadi, in the state of Maharashtra, about 60km from Mumbai, flattening several houses and trapping many who lived there.
A wave of extreme heat, wildfires, torrential rain and flooding has wreaked havoc around the world in recent days, raising new fears about the pace of climate change.
Rescue workers recovered 16 bodies before night fell and local authorities advised they suspend the search, Director General of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), Atul Karwal, told Reuters.
“It is not possible to look for people in the dark in such terrain,” he said, adding he remained hopeful more could be found alive.
Rescuers searched for over 12 hours in heavy rains and fog, dodging large boulders that tumbled down the mountain slope, a Reuters witness and local media reported.
Some dug graves near the site of the incident, as conditions made getting bodies down the mountain too difficult, the witness said.
It was estimated that at least 225 people lived in the hamlet, Devendra Fadnavis, Maharashtra’s deputy chief minister told the state assembly, adding over 80 had managed to escape. More than 100 people were feared trapped in the debris.
Source: CNA
