Maharashtra calls off search operations in landslide-hit Taliye village; 31 missing to be declared dead

Mumbai: The Raigad district administration on Monday called off the search operations for 31 missing people in Taliye village which was ravaged by a massive landslide after heavy rains last week. So far, 53 people have died in the village and five are injured, while 31 people are still missing and they will be declared dead following the due process, district Collector Nidhi Chaudhari said. The village, located in Mahad taluka of Raigad in Maharashtra’s Konkan region, witnessed the deadliest landslide last Thursday after heavy rains, flattening several houses in the area. The collector said the decision to call off the search operations was taken after seeking the opinion of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and the disaster response forces of the state and neighbouring Thane district. “The rescue operations have ended officially. We have withdrawn our teams from Taliye. The 31 missing will be declared dead following the due process…relatives of the missing people demanded the closure of the operations since yesterday,” the collector said. Respecting sentiments of the survivors and relatives of the missing people, the operations to search for the 31 missing people have been officially called off, she added. Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray visited the village on Saturday and said as landslides proved fatal in many parts of the state, the government would come up with a plan to permanently relocate people living in hilly areas. As per the state government, the death toll in the rain-battered Raigad district has reached 71, while 53 people are still missing.