Landslide sweeps away Odisha hamlet; 12 missing as rescue teams battle heavy rain

Bhubaneswar: At least 12 people remain missing after a massive landslide swept away Gidipabali hamlet on the Ganjam-Kandhamal border in Odisha following heavy rainfall triggered by Cyclone Arnab on the night of October 28.

The state government has launched an extensive search and rescue operation, but no missing person has been traced so far. Continuous rainfall, damaged roads and difficult terrain have severely hampered efforts to reach the remote settlement.

Gidipabali, a hilltop hamlet under Baipali gram panchayat in Ganjam district’s Bhanjanagar block, is home to around 25 people. The landslide reportedly swept across the hillside, carrying away residents and destroying much of the settlement, leaving boulders and debris scattered across the area.

Special Relief Commissioner Rajesh Prabhakar Patil said on Saturday that 12 residents had managed to reach safety as heavy rain triggered the landslide on Wednesday night. Thirteen others were initially reported missing, but an elderly woman, Tarabati Pradhan, was subsequently traced, bringing the number of missing persons to 12.

The disaster came to light only after 10 survivors reached officials in neighbouring Kandhamal district on Friday evening and reported the incident. Ganjam district authorities initially struggled to access the hamlet because of flooding and damaged roads.

Around 160 to 170 personnel from the Fire Services, Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force (ODRAF), National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and Special Operations Group have been deployed from Kandhamal for the rescue operation.

Kandhamal Superintendent of Police Ramendra Prasad said rescue personnel had to trek more than seven kilometres through muddy terrain to reach the affected site.

The state government also deployed an Indian Navy helicopter from G Udayagiri on Saturday, carrying specialised equipment, including a seismic life-detection unit, a vibration-detection unit and victim-location cameras. However, adverse weather prevented the helicopter from landing at the designated location. The equipment is being transported by road and is expected to be deployed from Sunday morning.

Persistent rainfall continues to pose challenges for rescue teams. Officials said efforts were being coordinated with experts and multiple agencies to locate the missing residents.

Meanwhile, 10 survivors are taking shelter at Kilapanga Primary School in Kandhamal district. Among them is 26-year-old Rinima Malik, who is awaiting news of her husband, Sanman Pradhan, and father-in-law, Debraj Pradhan.

Malik said her family had travelled to her parental home to meet her mother. When the rain intensified, she, her mother and her twin children managed to reach safety, but her husband and father-in-law were swept away.

The Gidipabali tragedy follows another landslide in neighbouring Kandhamal district, where three members of a family, including a seven-month-old infant, were killed after their house was destroyed in Raikia block early on Thursday.