Mumbai: At least 112 people have died, 53 others were injured and 99 are missing in the flood-hit state of Maharashtra with Raigad becoming the worst-hit district battered by rain and landslide. According to authorities, the death toll is expected to rise. Nearly 1,35,313 people have been evacuated from the flood-hit areas with rescue operations being carried out by NDRF and state administration. According to the information given by the Relief and Rehabilitation Department at 9.30 pm on Saturday nearly 3,221 animals have also lost their lives.
Konkan, Western Maharashtra worst affected
Parts of the Raigad and Ratnagiri districts in the coastal Konkan region and Kolhapur district in western Maharashtra have been worst affected by the floods. Besides that, heavy rains have been pounding parts of the Satara district.
Maharashtra CM visited Raigad
Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray visited Raigad and took stock of the situation. He said that given the incidents of landslides, the state government would come up with a plan to permanently shift and relocate people living in hilly areas. Thackeray was speaking to reporters in Taliye village of Raigad district, where a landslide on Thursday evening has claimed many lives. He also assured all assistance to the victims and relatives of those who lost their lives during floods. Thackeray will visit Chiplun in Ratnagiri district on Sunday. Later, he also visited Satara's flood-affected areas.
President called Governor
President Ram Nath Kovind called Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari and expressed his concern over the loss of life and property in the state due to incessant rains and floods. The Governor apprised him about rescue and relief works undertaken to mitigate people’s plight.
Read:| Evacuation of people from hilly areas of rain-ravaged Konkan on: Maha CM
Raigad worst hit
Raigad district seems to be the worst-affected by the rain fury. Taliye village of Raigad district has been ravaged by a landslide due to incessant rainfall on Friday with many houses getting destroyed. A total of 44 bodies were retrieved from the debris from two locations. 35 injured are undergoing treatment. Total six locations witnessed landslides in Raigad district, said Raigad District Collector, Nidhi Chaudhary. According to officials and staff present at the spot, around 50 more people are feared trapped under the debris, she stated.
Kolhapur hit by flood
The rain intensity in the flood-hit Kolhapur district in Maharashtra reduced on Saturday afternoon, leading to a slight fall in the water level of the Panchganga River. However, at 55.2 feet, the river is still flowing way above the danger mark, which is 43 feet. Notably, during the 2019 floods in Kolhapur, the water level of the Panchganga River at Rajaram had reached 55 feet. Meanwhile, residents living in areas near the river are being evacuated to safer places by the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and local officials. A large number of goods vehicles were stranded on Kolhapur Highway, as vehicular movement halted due to floods in Kolhapur.
Landslides in Satara
As many as 13 bodies have been recovered from two landslide sites in Western Maharashtra's Satara district which was battered by torrential rains and some more people are still missing, a senior official said on Saturday evening. The number of bodies found at Ambeghar village, where four or five houses were buried under the rubble, rose to 11 and at least four persons were still missing, said district collector Shekhar Singh. Two bodies were found at the landslide site at Dhokawale village, while no bodies had been found yet at Mirgaon, he said.
NDRF carrying rescue operation
National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) have been working with 14 teams of the Army, the Coast Guard and others in the rain-ravaged districts. Besides, four teams of the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) have also joined the evacuation operations, Deputy CM Ajit Pawar told reporters in Pune. NDRF team carries out rescue and relief operations in flood-affected Maharashtra. NDRF teams were deployed in flood-affected districts of the state. NDRF personnel distributed food as part of the relief operation in the aftermath of heavy rains that led to submerged roads in several parts of Kolhapur in Maharashtra.
Read:| Stay safe, leave rehabilitation to govt, Uddhav consoles flood affected
Relief operation by Air force
India Air Force deployed one C-17 Globemaster and 2 C-130 Super Hercules to ferry 170 personnel and 21 tonnes of load for NDRF from Bhubaneswar to Pune, Ratnagiri and Goa in preparation for humanitarian assistance and disaster relief.
Navy mobilised resources
Western Naval Command of the Indian Navy mobilized resources to assist state and district administrations of flood-ravaged areas in Maharashtra that are reeling under flooding of both urban and rural areas due to incessant rains. On civil authorities' request, seven Naval Flood Rescue Teams from Mumbai were deployed to Ratnagiri and Raigad districts. One Seaking 42 C Helicopter from Mumbai deployed for aerial reconnaissance at Poladpur in Raigad.
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