Odisha intensifies search for 10 missing in Ganjam landslide
Authorities are using ground-penetrating radar and explosives to locate people missing after a landslide at a hilltop village.
Search and rescue operations intensified on Tuesday at Gidipabali village, a hilltop location on the Ganjam-Kandhamal border, where 10 people remain missing. According to ThePrint, the landslide was triggered by rain during Cyclone Arnab last week.
Disaster Management Minister Suresh Pujari said the operation entered its fourth day on Tuesday. The search involves 157 personnel from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force (ODRAF), Railways, and Fire Services, along with 25 local volunteers and daily labourers.
Director General of Fire Services S Sarangi said the teams are using explosives to blast huge boulders that rolled down hills and fell on houses. Rescuers are also using ground-penetrating radar (GPR) and other specialised equipment to trace the missing persons.
The bodies of two people, Salman Pradhan, 29, and Rabi Mallick, 52, were recovered from the site. Sarangi noted that difficulty in removing boulders has hindered the process of searching beneath the debris.
Urban Acres reported that rescue teams had to trek approximately 5 km through rocky and muddy stretches to reach the village. The operation also involves veterinary teams after the decomposed carcasses of three cows and four goats were found.
The search remains focused on the village and surrounding terrain as teams continue to work through the difficult access route.