Mumbai landslide toll rises to 7; rescue ops enter 2nd day as 2 feared trapped
Search and rescue operations were underway for the second day on Thursday at the site of a landslide in Mumbai, where two persons were still feared trapped under the debris, officials said.
The landslide struck a row tenement located near a hillock in the Sakinaka area in the early hours of Wednesday following heavy rains, claiming seven lives and leaving seven others injured.
Soil and boulders from the adjoining hillock fell on three shanties in Gaushiya Chawl in Ashok Nagar locality of Chirag Nagar.
As per the officials, a couple of people were still feared trapped in debris, but the rescue operation remained challenging due to the site's narrow access, which also restricted the use of heavy machinery.
Teams comprising personnel from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), fire brigade and the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) continued the search and rescue operation at the site for the second day, a civic official said.
Residents of adjoining shanties have been evacuated, and the civic administration has made arrangements for their temporary accommodation.
The BMC said it had been issuing warnings and conducting awareness drives in areas vulnerable to landslides and rockfalls, particularly during the monsoon.
