Landslide in Maharashtra village: Search and rescue operation resumes on 4th day; 81 people untraced
Mumbai (PTI): The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and other agencies resumed the search and rescue operation for the fourth day on Sunday at Irshalwadi village in Maharashtra's Raigad district where a massive landslide led to the death of at least 27 people, officials said.
According to an NDRF official, no body was recovered so far after the search and rescue operation resumed in the morning.
The death toll in the landslide mounted to 27 on Saturday while 81 persons are yet to be traced, officials earlier said.
The landslide at the tribal village, situated on a hill slope under Khalapur tehsil that is located around 80 km from Mumbai, occurred on Wednesday night.
At least 17 of 48 houses in the village were fully or partially buried under the landslide debris, officials said.
The search and rescue operation was called off on Saturday night due to bad light and inclement weather and resumed on Sunday morning.
The rescue operation is being carried out manually as earth movers and excavators could not be easily moved to the village in the absence of a pucca road.
Of the 27 bodies recovered so far, 12 are women, 10 men and four children, while one person is unidentified, officials said.
Nine members of a family had perished in the disaster, they said.
On Saturday, Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray met residents of Irshalwadi.
He said people living in landslide-prone areas in Maharashtra should be moved to safer locations.
"Not just Irsahlwadi. All such localities should be rehabilitated in nearby villages or areas," he said.
The former chief minister said he had planned a scheme to rehabilitate villages residing in landslide-prone areas to safer places.
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Three footballers of Indian origin named in squads for FIFA World Cup 2026
New Delhi: Three footballers of Indian origin have been named in preliminary or final squads for the upcoming FIFA World Cup 2026, scheduled to be held across the United States, Mexico and Canada from June 11 to July 19.
According to a report published by Mathrubhumi, Sarpreet Singh was included in the New Zealand national football team squad which was announced on Wednesday.
Born in Auckland to Indian parents, Singh was eligible to represent India through his family roots but chose to play for New Zealand. The 27-year-old attacking midfielder made his senior international debut in 2018 and has since become a regular member of the national side.
Singh has made 26 appearances for New Zealand and has scored three goals while providing seven assists.
Julen Lopetegui has included two players of Indian origin: Niall Mason and Tahsin Mohammed, in Qatar’s selections for the tournament.
Mason, a defender whose mother is Indian, previously trained in the youth academies of Real Madrid, Southampton FC and Aston Villa FC. Although he received his first senior call-up earlier this year, the Qatar defender is yet to make his senior international debut.
Tahsin Mohammed, 19, was born to parents from Kerala’s Kannur district. His father Jamshid is from Thalassery, while his mother Shaima belongs to Valapattanam. The winger became the first player of Indian origin to feature in the Qatar Stars League, Qatar’s premier domestic football competition.
Mohammed has made two appearances for the senior Qatar side, including in a World Cup qualifier against Afghanistan in June 2024.
The FIFA World Cup 2026 will be jointly hosted by United States, Mexico and Canada.
