The death toll from a massive landslide in Maharashtra, a state in central-west India, has risen to 27 on Sunday, with 50 people still missing, according to authorities. Heavy monsoon rains have triggered landslides in Raigad, a hilly and forested region approximately 100 kilometers from Mumbai.
Local official Yogesh Mahasi told Agence France-Presse today (Sunday): “We have counted 27 bodies so far, and between 50 and 60 people are still missing, but there are many problems in the rescue operations at the site.”
The previous toll reported at least 16 deaths.
Mahasi stated that the isolated small village is about 5 kilometers away from the nearest road. “No heavy equipment can reach this site, we only have small machines, and the bulk of the work has to be done manually,” he added.
He continued, “The heavy rain, which has not stopped in the region, makes the operation more difficult,” indicating that he is not optimistic about finding more survivors on the fourth day of the ongoing rescue operation. Local media have reported entire families perishing in the disaster.
Since the start of the monsoon season in India in early June, floods and landslides have killed dozens across the country. Experts believe that climate change is exacerbating extreme weather phenomena globally.
