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Landslide triggered by heavy rains kills 10 and traps many others in western India

By Rafiq Maqbool - Associated Press 2 min read
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Rescuers dig graves to bury the bodies of victims at the site of a landslide in Raigad district, western Maharashtra state, India, Thursday, July 20, 2023. While some people are reported dead many others feared trapped under piles of debris.

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A woman whose family members are trapped under rubble wails after a landslide washed away houses in Raigad district, western Maharashtra state, India, Thursday, July 20, 2023. While some people are reported dead many others feared trapped under piles of debris.

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A woman holds the hand of her relative as family members of people trapped under rubble wail after a landslide washed away houses in Raigad district, western Maharashtra state, India, Thursday, July 20, 2023. While some people are reported dead many others feared trapped under piles of debris.

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Family members of people trapped under rubble wait for news of rescue after a landslide washed away houses in Raigad district, western Maharashtra state, India, Thursday, July 20, 2023. While some people are reported dead many others feared trapped under piles of debris.

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Rescuers work at a site of a landslide triggered by torrential rains in Raigad district, western Maharashtra state, India, Thursday, July 20, 2023. While some people are reported dead many others feared trapped under piles of debris.

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Rescuers climb a mountain as they walk towards the site of a landslide in Raigad district, western Maharashtra state, India, Thursday, July 20, 2023. While some people are reported dead many others feared trapped under piles of debris.

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People stand near the bodies of victims at the site of a landslide in Raigad district, western Maharashtra state, India, Thursday, July 20, 2023. While some people are reported dead many others feared trapped under piles of debris.

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Family members of people trapped under rubble wail after a landslide washed away houses in Raigad district, western Maharashtra state, India, Thursday, July 20, 2023. While some people are reported dead many others feared trapped under piles of debris.

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Family members of people trapped under rubble wait for news of rescue after a landslide washed away houses in Raigad district, western Maharashtra state, India, Thursday, July 20, 2023. While some people are reported dead many others feared trapped under piles of debris.

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Rescuers work at a site of a landslide triggered by torrential rains in Raigad district, western Maharashtra state, India, Thursday, July 20, 2023. While some people are reported dead many others feared trapped under piles of debris.

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Rescuers try to take out the body of a victim at a site of a landslide triggered by torrential rains in Raigad district, western Maharashtra state, India, Thursday, July 20, 2023. While some people are reported dead many others feared trapped under piles of debris.

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Family members of people trapped under rubble wail after a landslide washed away houses in Raigad district, western Maharashtra state, India, Thursday, July 20, 2023. While some people are reported dead many others feared trapped under piles of debris.

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A traffic police officer, right and a man, left help a motorist at a water logged street during rain in Hyderabad, India, Thursday, July 20, 2023. India receives its monsoon rains from June to October.

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A traffic police officer tries to clear water logging in a street during rain in Hyderabad, India, Thursday, July 20, 2023. India receives its monsoon rains from June to October.

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Foot marks of rescue workers and people are seen at a site of a landslide in Raigad district, western Maharashtra state, India, Thursday, July 20, 2023. While some people are reported dead many others feared trapped under piles of debris.

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Family members of people trapped under rubble wait for news of rescue after a landslide washed away houses in Raigad district, western Maharashtra state, India, Thursday, July 20, 2023. While some people are reported dead many others feared trapped under piles of debris.

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Rescuers walk towards the site of a landslide in Raigad district, western Maharashtra state, India, Thursday, July 20, 2023. While some people are reported dead many others feared trapped under piles of debris.

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Rescuers climb a mountain as they walk towards the site of a landslide in Raigad district, western Maharashtra state, India, Thursday, July 20, 2023. While some people are reported dead many others feared trapped under piles of debris.

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A man stands at a site of a landslide in Raigad district, western Maharashtra state, India, Thursday, July 20, 2023. While some people are reported dead many others feared trapped under piles of debris.

RAIGAD, India (AP) — A landslide triggered by torrential rains in India’s western Maharashtra state killed 10 people, with many others feared trapped under piles of debris, officials said Thursday.

A team of 60 rescuers and trained trekkers has been deployed to help save people trapped by the landslide, which occurred late Wednesday night, the state’s deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis tweeted. Harsh weather conditions have hampered rescue efforts and authorities have sent in medical teams to help the injured, he added.

While 75 people have been rescued, many others are still stuck, an official told the Press Trust of India news agency.

The landslide hit the Irshalwadi village in Raigad district and buried 17 of the 50 houses there.

Chief Minister Eknath Shinde arrived at the site on Thursday and told reporters “the priority now is to rescue those still trapped beneath the rubble.”

India’s weather department put Maharashtra on alert as the state has been lashed by incessant rains this week. The downpours have disrupted life for many in the state, including in the capital, Mumbai, where authorities on Thursday shut schools.

Local train services have been disrupted with water flowing inside stations and over tracks, local media reported. Roads have been submerged, causing traffic jams and leaving commuters stranded, as the National Disaster Response Force deployed teams across the state.

Record monsoon rains killed more than 100 people in northern India over the last two weeks, officials said, as the downpours caused roads to cave in and homes to collapse.

Monsoon rains across the country have already brought about 2% more rainfall this year than normal, India’s weather agency said.

India regularly witnesses severe floods during the monsoon season, which runs between June and September and brings most of South Asia’s annual rainfall. The rains are crucial for rain-fed crops planted during the season but often cause extensive damage.

Scientists say monsoons are becoming more erratic because of climate change and global warming, leading to frequent landslides and flash floods in India’s Himalayan north.

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