Mumbai: At least 13 people were killed and more than 100 are feared trapped following a landslide in Maharashtra’s Raigad district on Thursday.
Police said 12 bodies have been retrieved from the debris so far, while one rescuer died of cardiac arrest.
According to villagers, most of the victims did not get the chance to save themselves they were asleep when the landslide hit Irshalwadi village in Raigad’s Khalapur tehsil.
Some children, who had gone out of the village for better mobile network to play games, were the first to notice the landslide and alerted seniors.
Expert trekkers were summoned to reach the top of the mountain where the landslide occurred.
Two NDRF teams which reached the spot launched a search and rescue operation.
Maharashtra chief minister Eknath Shinde, who reached the spot amidst heavy rain, announced an ex-gratia of Rs 5 lakh each for the kin of the victims and said that the state government will bear the cost of treatment of the injured.
रायगड जिल्ह्यातील खालापूर तालुक्यातील इर्शाळगड पायथ्याशी असलेल्या वस्तीवर मध्यरात्री दरड कोसळल्याने काही जणांना आपला प्राण गमवावा लागला. तर अनेकजण या ढिगाऱ्याखाली अडकले आहेत. या घटनेची माहिती मिळताच मुख्यमंत्री मा. ना.श्री.@mieknathshinde साहेब पहाटेपासून घटनास्थळी उपस्थित आहेत.… pic.twitter.com/c3HvwQHYw8
— Dr Shrikant Eknath Shinde (@DrSEShinde) July 20, 2023
