Rescue teams resume search operations for Raigad hillslide victims

Raigad, July 21 (IANS) After an overnight pause, teams from multiple agencies resumed the search and rescue operation for the 100-plus missing victims of the Raigad hillside tragedy, here on Friday.

So far, 16 persons have been killed, 21 rescued and another 100-plus still missing in the Wednesday pre-midnight tragedy.

Teams of NDRF, SDRF, Fire Brigade and other local agencies reached the 550-metre Irshalgad Fort hill, a portion of which broke loose and buried a part of the tribal hamlet Irshalwadi nestling below.

The mission has been hampered owing to the inclement weather conditions in the hilly regions and even a proposed aerial operation by IAF helicopters could not be taken up on Thursday.

The IMD has issued a Red alert for Raigad, Palghar, Thane and Pune, and Orange alert for Mumbai, Ratnagiri and Satara for today (July 21), as intermittent rain continued to lash these districts for the fifth day today.

The teams have made arrangements for radio (walky-talky) communication as mobile phones are erratic there, an improvement over Thursday, and work started among the foggy and wet conditions on the remote, inaccessible hilly terrain.

Several cranes, JCBs, poclains, Bobcats, debris removal trucks and other sophisticated machines have reached here from Mumbai, Panvel, and other towns, but await deployment.

Scores of anxious relatives spent the night a short and safe distance away from the devastated Irshalwadi village, weeping at their fate and awaiting the rescue teams to resume their task at daybreak.

Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, Leader of Opposition Ambadas Danve separately trekked up the hazardous hills on Thursday to reach the crash venue several hundred metres up after a 90-minute trek, and state Congress President Nana Patole, cabinet ministers, top police and civil officials were present to oversee the rescue mission.