Authorities in India’s Maharashtra state said that at least 10 people were murdered after a landslide brought on by heavy rains plowed through their village and that many more were feared to be trapped.
In the remote, steep, and forested Raigad district, rescue workers battled torrential rain as residents scurried among piles of dirt and debris.
Deputy chief minister of Maharashtra Devendra Fadnavis reported that the landslide that overran the village overnight claimed the lives of 10 persons.
“More than 200 people reside there, we have rescued about 70 people so far — out of those, 21 are injured,” Fadnavis said on Thursday morning.
Police officer Harish Kalsekar told AFP that nearly 50 people were feared still buried under the debris.
“It is raining and the terrain is hilly, so heavy equipment can’t be moved there,” Kalsekar said.
The objective, according to interior minister Amit Shah, is “to evacuate people from the scene and treat the injured immediately.”
Numerous people have died as a result of landslides and flooding in India since the annual monsoon season began in June.
Although monsoon rains are essential for recharging rivers and groundwater, the annual deluge also leaves a path of severe ruin.
According to experts, damming, deforestation, and development projects in India are escalating the death toll from extreme weather events caused by climate change.
