According to official estimates, around 100 people are still missing in Maharashtra’s six flood-affected districts. Many were buried or washed away in landslides triggered by severe rains last week. It killed at least 164 people.
The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) called off rescue operations at a few landslide sites late Sunday. It includes Taliye in Raigad and Ambeghar in Satara, as the possibility of finding more missing people faded.
53 people are still missing in three landslide spots in Raigad district, according to the official statement. In Ratnagiri, 14 people are still missing. It includes four from Thane and one each in Kolhapur and Sindhudurg. A search is also ongoing for 27 more people who have been reported missing in landslides across the state.
Authorities are worried that several of the unknown victims have been carried away by strong flood currents. After taking off from Pune earlier in the day, Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray had to cancel his visit to the flood-affected Satara district on Monday. The helicopter he was traveling in could not land due to bad weather conditions in the afternoon.
Thackeray was scheduled to visit villages in the Satara district that are flooded. After a few more bodies were recovered by the NDRF and armed forces since Sunday, the death toll in eight districts has risen to 164.
Last week, three landslides in Raigad killed 71 people, followed by 41 in Satara, 21 in Ratnagiri, 7 in Kolhapur, and 12 in Thane. Heavy rain is pouring on India’s western coast since Thursday. The India Meteorological Department predicted more rain in the upcoming days.
Due to severe water-logging and the roads were washed away in some regions. Major state and national highways, including the Mumbai-Goa highway, remained closed on Sunday.
Almost 34 companies with 45 people are appointed in Ratnagiri (6), Satara (4), Kolhapur (8), Pune (4), and other districts. One Indian Army rescue team is deployed in each of Kolhapur and Sangli, while two Coast Guard rescue teams are on the ground.
On Sunday evening, a few thousand more people were evacuated from Sangli and Kolhapur. In total, the number of evacuated people has risen to 2,50,000.
