At least 50 people are still missing as rescuers battle in torrential weather, officials said, while the death toll from a major landslip in India’s Maharashtra state rose to 27 on Sunday.
Monsoon rains on Thursday caused a landslip that struck a hamlet in Raigad district, a mountainous and wooded area approximately 100 kilometres (62 miles) from Mumbai.
Under the mountains of dirt and rubble, rescue workers have been searching for corpses.
“We’ve so far counted 27 bodies, and about 50 to 60 people are still missing, but there are multiple challenges for rescue work at the site,” AFP was informed on Sunday by Raigad administrator Yogesh Mhase.
Mhase estimated that the rural hamlet was five km away from the closest road.
“No heavy equipment can reach this site, we only have small machines and most work has to be done manually,” he added.
“Non-stop heavy rains in the region are also making the entire operation much more challenging.”
cc: Punch Ng
