Rescue teams search for 12 missing people after a massive landslide struck Gidipabali village in Odisha (Img: X)
Gidipabali: Twelve people remain missing after a massive landslide struck Gidipabali village on the Ganjam and Kandhamal districts in Odisha, following days of intense rainfall linked to Cyclone Arnab. Authorities have mobilised 170 rescue personnel to locate those trapped under the debris.
According to officials, the landslide occurred in Gidipabali village under Baibali panchayat in Bhanjanagar block of Ganjam district. Of the 26 residents living in the hilltop settlement, 13 managed to escape. One of the 13 initially reported missing has since been traced, leaving 12 people unaccounted for.
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Special Relief Commissioner Rajesh P Patil said teams from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force (ODRAF) and Special Operation Group (SOG) were involved in the search operation, which began on Friday night.
The Gidipabali incident was among 10 landslides reported across the region amid relentless rainfall. Three people, including a nine-month-old infant, died in another landslide in Kandhamal district on Friday. A separate death was also reported from Gajapati district.
Hundreds of villages across southern Odisha have experienced flooding and significant disruption due to the adverse weather conditions.
The 13 villagers who escaped the Gidipabali landslide have been moved to a relief centre near G Udayagiri in Kandhamal district. Two children were among the survivors.
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Survivors described how a massive flow of mud, stones and debris swept down the hillside, destroying homes and leaving several residents trapped. Two injured women were subsequently shifted to a nearby health facility for treatment.
Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi said the government had stepped up rescue and relief operations in the affected districts. Residents are being moved to safer locations, while essential supplies are being arranged at relief centres.
Meanwhile, Ganjam district authorities have increased relief distribution, including drinking water supplies, as efforts continue to restore normalcy.
The search for the 12 missing villagers remains underway.
