Odisha searches for 12 missing after landslide hits Ganjam village
Rescue teams have been deployed to Gidipabali village following a landslide triggered by heavy rain from cyclone Arnab.
The Odisha government has initiated a search for 12 people missing after a landslide hit a hilltop village near the Ganjam and Kandhamal border on Friday, according to Business Standard.
Special Relief Commissioner Rajesh P Patil said 170 personnel from the National Disaster Response Force, Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force, Special Operation Group, and Fire Services are involved in the operation.
The landslide occurred at Gidipabali village in the Bhanjanagar block of Ganjam district. Of the 26 people living in the hamlet, 13 managed to escape, while one person has been traced and 12 remain missing.
The disaster was among 10 incidents caused by heavy rainfall from cyclone Arnab. In Kandhamal district, three people, including an infant, died in a landslide at Dangesi village, while another death was reported in Gajapati.
Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi stated that rescue and relief efforts have been intensified in flood-affected districts. He said people are being moved to safer locations and essential facilities are being provided at relief camps.
Revenue and disaster management minister Suresh Pujari announced that a Navy helicopter would be used to assist the search and rescue operations.