Death toll from India's landslide rises to 27


The death toll from a major landslip in India’s Maharashtra state rose to 27, with at least 50 people still missing as rescue workers laboured in torrential weather, officials said.


Monsoon rains sparked the landslip on Thursday, smashing into a village in Raigad district, a hilly and forested area approximately 100 kilometres (62 miles) from Mumbai.


Rescue workers have been searching for bodies behind piles of mud and rubble.


“We’ve counted 27 bodies so far, and about 50 to 60 people are still missing,” Raigad officer Yogesh Mhase told AFP on Sunday.


Mhase stated that the secluded hamlet was around five km from the nearest road.


“No heavy equipment can reach this site; we only have small machines, and most work has to be done manually,” he continued.


“The region’s nonstop heavy rains are also making the entire operation much more difficult.”


On the fourth day of the continuing rescue, the top district official expressed scepticism about finding survivors.


According to local media reports, numerous families were completely wiped out, with survivors being the only ones left alive among their relatives.


Rains have pounded India since the start of the monsoon season in June, killing dozens of people in flooding and landslides.


Monsoon rains are essential for recharging rivers and groundwater, but the annual deluge also causes enormous devastation.


Experts say climate change is increasing the number of extreme weather events worldwide, with damming, deforestation, and development projects in India compounding the human toll.