Search operations resume for missing people in Raigad hill landslide

Raigad: After an overnight halt, teams from multiple agencies resumed search and rescue operations for over 100 missing people in the Raigad hill tragedy here on Friday. So far 16 people have been killed, 21 have been rescued and over 100 people are still missing in the tragedy that happened before midnight on Wednesday. Teams of NDRF, SDRF, Fire Brigade and other local agencies reached the 550-metre high Irshalgarh Fort hillock, a portion of which broke down and fell on Irshalwadi, a tribal village below. The mission has been hampered due to bad weather in the hilly areas. The proposed air campaign by Indian Air Force helicopters on Thursday also could not be launched. IMD has issued Red Alert for Raigad, Palghar, Thane and Pune and Orange Alert for Mumbai, Ratnagiri and Satara for today (July 21) as intermittent rains continued in these districts for the fifth day today. Teams have arranged radio (walkie-talkie) communication, as mobile phones there are erratic, improved on Thursday, and work began amid fog and wet conditions in the remote, inhospitable mountainous area. Several cranes, JCBs, Poklens, Bobcats, debris removal trucks and other state-of-the-art machines have arrived here from Mumbai, Panvel and other cities, but are awaiting deployment. Hundreds of anxious relatives spent the night just a short distance from the devastated Irshalwadi village, weeping over their fate and waiting for rescue teams to resume their work at daybreak. Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, Leader of the Opposition Ambadas Danve trekked separately over the perilous hills on Thursday to reach the accident site at a height of several hundred meters after a 90-minute journey, and state Congress president Nana Patole, cabinet ministers, top Police and civic officials are present to supervise the rescue operation.