Twelve people missing after landslide hits Ganjam village in Odisha
Rescue operations are underway in Gidipabali village as heavy rainfall from Cyclone Arnab triggers landslides across the state.
Twelve people remain missing after a landslide struck Gidipabali village in the Bhanjanagar block of Ganjam district in the early hours of Friday, according to The New Indian Express. The village, located on a hill, had a population of approximately 26 people.
Special Relief Commissioner Rajesh Prabhakar Patil said that one elderly woman had been traced, while 12 others remain missing. Between 160 and 170 personnel from the Fire Services, Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force (ODRAF), National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), and the Special Operation Group (SOG) of Odisha Police have been mobilised for the search.
In a separate incident in Dangesi village under Raikia block in Kandhamal district, three members of a family, including an infant, died after a landslide swept away their house on Thursday. Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi announced ex gratia assistance of Rs 4 lakh for each of the three deceased.
The Indian Express reported that one person also died in Gajapati district due to rain-related incidents. In Ganjam, nearly 40,000 displaced persons are taking shelter in 367 relief camps, with more than a lakh people affected by floods in the district.
Revenue and disaster management minister Suresh Pujari announced that a Navy helicopter would be used to assist search and rescue operations. The Odisha government has also requested the Ministry of Home Affairs to deploy a helicopter for equipment transport at another landslide site in G Udayagiri, Kandhamal district.