After two days of incessant rain, reaching 10.8 centimeters, an entire village in Pune district of Maharashtra state of western India was buried under deep mud, rocks and debris, killing at least 25 people and trapping more than 150. The massive landslide occurred this Wednesday, and geologists warn of the danger of more landslides occurring in the area.
Malin village in western India was severely affected by the massive landslide occurring early Wednesday, prohibiting national rescue crews to approach the area for many hours as a result of bad communications and blocked roads. People from neighboring villages volunteered to assist rescue crews with bare hands in order to retrieve people buried under the mud and the debris of shattered homes. About 150 people are believed to be trapped under the mud, raising fears that death toll will rise in the following days.
Causes of the landslide still remain to be investigated, however it is probably attributed to the extensive deforestation and environmental damage, taking place in the particular area. Deforestation along with soil leveling in order to create farming land is becoming increasingly common in many parts across India, turning the specific areas susceptible to floods and landslides, especially during monsoon period.
According to geology experts, more landslides are likely to occur in the wider area, where the present landslide took place, especially in the villages located along the backwaters of Dimbhe dam, hence urging government authorities to investigate the prone areas to identify any signs of landslides. A team from the Geological Survey of India (GSI) is already on the spot to investigate the area for cracks in hills and tilting trees and poles. Landslide expert Satish Thigale, former head of geology department of University of Pune, further stated the need for the relocation of villagers in case landslide risk is identified to be high.
Sources: timesofindia.com, abcnews.com, msnnews
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