Five dead in Maharashtra landslide, about 160 feared trapped

Date:

spot_imgspot_img

Pune:  At least five persons were killed and about 160 feared trapped after large parts of a hillside collapsed on houses amid heavy rain in Maharashtra’s Pune district on Wednesday.
There were reports that five persons were extricated alive from the massive debris of mud and rock that covered the area at Malin village, some 120 km from the district headquarters.
Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan said five persons were killed in the landslide and 160 feared trapped.
He said 44 houses on the hillside were swamped by the cascading debris in the village with a population of about 715. Rescue operations are on in full swing with the help of two teams from the National Disaster Response Force, District Collector Saurav Rao said.
The rescuers were moving slowly to avoid causing harm to the survivors, he said. About 30 ambulances and fire brigade teams from adjoining areas have been rushed to the spot, he added. IG, NDRF, Sandeep Rai Rathore said his teams had difficulty reaching the scene of occurrence due to damage caused to roads. Quoting district authorities, he said, upto 200 people may be trapped.
Chavan has left for the village with Deputy CM Ajit Pawar to personally monitor rescue efforts.
Hospitals in the vicinity have been put on alert and medical teams rushed to the spot. Rescuers are facing a tough time due to rain. Large parts of Maharashtra are witnessing heavy and incessant rains over the past few days.
According to District Collector Saurav Rao, the administration has mobilised rescue machinery to pull out those trapped. “Exact number of causalities is not known as we are moving slowly to ensure that those trapped are removed safely.
About 30 ambulances have been rushed from adjoining areas to extend medical help to the victims,” he said, adding earth moving equipment from government and private parties were being pressed into service. Communication difficulties and rains were affecting the operations, he said. (PTI)

spot_imgspot_img

Related articles

God sent PM Modi as ‘avatar purush’ to lead India: Mukesh Ambani

New Delhi, Sep 17: God has sent Prime Minister Narendra Modi as an ‘avatar purush’ to lead India,...

China urges US to remove Typhon missile from Japan

BEIJING, Sep 16: China on Tuesday asked the US to withdraw its mid-range Typhon missile system deployed in...

Gen Z protest victims given state funeral in Kathmandu

Kathmandu, Sep 16: Funerals of some of the victims of Gen Z protests were performed on Tuesday at...

20 injured in Russian strike; Zelenskyy seeks EU air shield

KYIV, Sep 16: Russian forces launched a rocket attack on Zaporizhzhia overnight, wounding 20 people, including four children,...