Search for 10 missing villagers in Odisha landslip remains unsuccessful
Rescue teams used controlled blasts to dislodge boulders in Gidipabali village, but no breakthrough has been made to find the missing.
Multi-agency rescue efforts to find approximately 10 villagers trapped under debris following a landslip in Gidipabali village remained unsuccessful on Tuesday, according to The Hindu. The incident occurred in the Bhanjanagar block of Odisha’s Ganjam district after heavy rainfall linked to cyclone Arnab.
Rescue teams carried out three controlled blasts on Tuesday to dislodge massive boulders obstructing the operation. Personnel from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), the Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force (ODRAF), the Odisha Fire Service, the Special Operation Group, and the Railways are involved in the search.
Director General of Police (Fire Services) Sudhansu Sarangi said the remote location of Gidipabali, which lacks an access road, has prevented the use of heavy machinery like cranes and earth movers. He stated that continuing controlled blasts could potentially trigger further landslips.
The landslip struck the village on October 28, when a portion of a nearby hill collapsed onto houses. Of the 25 residents, 13 survived, while 12 were buried under debris. The bodies of two victims, Salman Pradhan, 29, and Rabi Mallick, 52, have been recovered.
Sarangi said the teams are facing difficulty removing huge boulders beneath which bodies are suspected to be buried. He added that the state government has been informed about the limitations of the rescue operation and the decision to continue rests with the highest level of government.