Incessant heavy rainfall triggered a major landslide in Maharashtra’s Ratnagiri district, burying five houses and trapping residents under the debris, officials said on Tuesday.
The incident took place in the Dahivali area of Khed tehsil on Monday night after continuous rainfall battered the region. Officials said a 75-year-old woman, identified as Kalpana Shelar, was safely rescued following the landslide.
Two others, identified as Shantaram Shelar and Satish Shelar, remained trapped under the debris. Teams from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), local police and other emergency agencies reached the location and launched search and rescue operations.
Maharashtra minister Uday Samant visited the affected area on Tuesday morning to review the ongoing rescue efforts and assess the situation.
Heavy rains claim 13 lives across Maharashtra
Several parts of Maharashtra have been witnessing intense rainfall over the past few days, leading to landslides, tree falls, flooding and waterlogging.
According to the State Emergency Operations Centre (SEOC), heavy rainfall accompanied by strong winds has claimed 13 lives and injured 10 others across the state in the last two days.
Officials said around 100 houses have been damaged due to rain-related incidents, leaving several families displaced.
Rainfall data showed the intensity of the downpour across coastal and western Maharashtra. Lonavala recorded 625 mm of rainfall in 48 hours, while Raigad received 236 mm in 24 hours. Thane recorded 161 mm, Ratnagiri received 152 mm, Palghar reported an average of 132 mm, and parts of Mumbai recorded between 100 mm and 161 mm of rainfall.
Rivers cross danger levels, flood alerts issued
Several rivers across Maharashtra have witnessed a sharp rise in water levels following continuous rainfall.
Officials said the Ulhas, Kalu and Pinjal rivers crossed their warning levels, while the Amba, Savitri, Kundalika, Patalganga, Jagbudi and Ulhas rivers breached danger marks.
Flood alerts have been issued for Badlapur, Mohane and Jambhulpada as authorities continue to monitor the situation.
Rain-related incidents reported across districts
In Mumbai, six people were killed and one person was injured after a building collapsed onto a slum cluster in the Mankhurd area. Another person died in the suburbs after a tree collapsed.
In Thane, two people were injured after a portion of a building collapsed. Palghar and Sindhudurg each reported one drowning-related death, while strong winds damaged nearly 30 houses in Sindhudurg.
A landslide in Satara district claimed one life and injured four others.
Red Alert issued amid landslide threat
Authorities have issued a Red Alert for hill stations, including Matheran, Lonavala, Khopoli and Lohagad, due to the risk of landslides caused by continuous heavy rainfall.
Two NDRF teams have been deployed in vulnerable areas. In Pune district’s Mawal taluka, four people were trapped after a landslide hit a house in Patan.
Near Talegaon-Dabhade, a bus carrying 25 passengers was stranded in floodwaters. All passengers were safely rescued by the NDRF.
In Raigad district’s Sudhagad taluka, six members of a family, including a six-month-old infant, were stranded on the roof of their house due to flooding. Rescue teams used boats to evacuate them safely after access roads were submerged.
Landslides disrupt highway traffic
Heavy rainfall also affected major road networks across Maharashtra.
Traffic on the Mumbai-Goa Highway was disrupted after a landslide occurred in Kashedi Ghat. Landslides and waterlogging also affected movement on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway and Khopoli Highway before authorities restored traffic later in the day.
The Mawal and Tamhini Ghat sections were also affected by landslides and flooding, leading officials to divert vehicles through alternative routes.
Meanwhile, the Vidarbha region continued to wait for significant rainfall, with districts including Wardha, Akola, Amravati, Yavatmal and Chandrapur recording no rainfall during this period.
(With inputs from PTI and IANS)
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