Politics · India Bureau
Odisha launches major rescue operation for 12 missing after landslide
Authorities in Odisha have mobilised nearly 200 rescue personnel to search for a dozen people who went missing when heavy rainfall triggered a catastrophic landslide in a hilltop village. The incident marks one of ten similar disasters across the state following intense weather linked to cyclone Arnab.
LSN India ·
The Odisha government intensified search and rescue operations Saturday following a rain-induced landslide that struck Gidipabali village, located on the border between Ganjam and Kandhamal districts. Of the 26 residents living in the affected hilltop settlement, thirteen managed to escape to safety while twelve others remain unaccounted for, with one individual located since the initial incident on Friday.
Special Relief Commissioner Rajesh P Patil said 170 personnel from the National Disaster Response Force, the Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force, and the Special Operation Group have been deployed for the rescue effort. "The search operation commenced Friday night and continues with full intensity," Patil told reporters in Bhubaneswar.
The Gidipabali incident represents one of ten landslides recorded across Odisha during a period of torrential rainfall triggered by cyclone Arnab. The extreme weather has inundated hundreds of villages across the state, creating challenging conditions for rescue teams working to locate the missing persons and assist affected communities.