Search continues for 12 missing after Odisha landslide
Authorities have deployed 170 personnel and a Navy helicopter to find people missing in a Ganjam hilltop village.
The Odisha government has launched a search operation for 12 people missing after a landslide hit a hilltop village bordering Ganjam and Kandhamal districts. The landslide occurred on Friday at Gidipabali village in Bhanjanagar block following heavy rain from Cyclone Arnab.
Special Relief Commissioner Rajesh P Patil said the village had 26 residents. While 13 people were relocated before the landslide, 13 others were reported missing. One person has been traced alive, but the remaining 12 remain untraceable.
More than 170 personnel from the National Disaster Response Force, Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force, Fire Services, and the Special Operation Group are involved. Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Suresh Pujari announced that an Indian Navy helicopter would also assist the search.
The landslide follows other fatalities caused by the cyclone. In Kandhamal district, three people, including a nine-month-old infant, died in a landslide at Dangesi village. Another death was confirmed in Gajapati district.
Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi stated that rescue and relief operations have been intensified in flood-affected districts. In Ganjam, approximately 1.05 lakh people were affected by floods, while over 25,000 people were affected in Gajapati.
Leader of Opposition Naveen Patnaik expressed sadness over the loss of life in Kandhamal and urged the government to take necessary steps for rescue and restoration.