Rain fury leaves 164 dead, 100 missing
PUNE/MUMBAI: The search operation for 31 missing people in Maharashtra’s landslide-hit Taliye village was called off on Monday, officials said, even as the death toll in the state pummeled by days of heavy rainfall rose to 164, with at least 100 people still missing.
The Konkan and western districts in the state have witnessed heavy rainfall since last week that triggered floods and landslides in several villages. According to official data, 890 villages in nine districts were affected.
Rescue teams have recovered 53 bodies from the site of the landslide in Taliye village and five people were reported injured till Monday, Raigad district collector Nidhi Chaudhari said. The 31 people still missing will be declared dead following due process, she said.
“The teams have stopped search and rescue operation at landslide-hit Taliye village. 31 missing people will be declared dead following due process. The search for these missing people has been called off after seeking the opinion of NDRF, SDRF, TDRF. The relatives of the missing people also demanded closure of the operations,” Choudhari said. The village, in Mahad taluka of Raigad district, was flattened out after a portion of a hillock collapsed following heavy rainfall, burying several houses on Thursday night.
Respecting sentiments of survivors and kin of missing people, the operations to search for the 31 missing people have been officially called off, Chaudhari said.