Raigad: Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde went on a hike up the steep, 550-meter-high Irshalgad Fort, which is near where a hill slide buried part of the Irshalwadi village just before midnight on Wednesday, with the death toll reaching 12 by 4 p.m.
Even if sporadic rains continue to impede the activities here, Shinde, who arrived at early for a preliminary visit, directed and coordinated the rescue operations, resulting in the recovery of four remains.
After spending a few hours with the Raigad police rescue teams, the Fire Brigade teams from various civic authorities, the SDRF and NDRF teams, and the volunteers of the Maharashtra Mountaineers Rescue Coordination Centre (MMRCC), all of whom are contributing to the rescue mission.
Shinde came back later, wearing a full raincoat and hiking shoes, and was accompanied by ministerial colleagues, officials, and security personnel who shielded him from the rain with umbrellas as he climbed the several hundred metres up a narrow path lined with thick vegetation and a steep slope at various points to reach the main tragedy spot.
Along the way, he came across a few lucky survivors who had missed the bombardment of the falling boulders and mud by a few feet, but who were now grieving for their 'missing' or lost friends and neighbours while huddled under plastic sheets and shivering in the rain.
The CM stepped forward with folded hands, gently bent to console them for their losses, and promised to help in every manner to mitigate their sufferings from the devastating tragedy.
Some of the distraught townspeople came up to him, telling him how their futures had been wiped out in a matter of seconds and how they had been unable to save their loved ones, even if they had been lucky enough to survive the hill fall.
A young eyewitness shuddered as he recalled hearing rumbling noises, followed by huge crashes and strange sounds of the massive quantities of the wet sticky mud that broke loose from the hilltop and hillsides, carrying with it small bushes and shrubs, and crashing onto the village below, like a mud-flow.
Many of the terrified villagers ran out of their dwelling, screaming, shouting and trying to gauge exactly what had happened, but could see or comprehend little in the darkness and the pouring rains, said the eyewitness, with tears in his eyes.
Authorities have been unable to send heavy machines or cranes to clear the thousands of tonnes of rocks and sludge that have buried the tribal village and its estimated 80 or more inhabitants due to the inaccessible, challenging terrain on the steep hills.
Currently, the only way to reach the victims buried at depths ranging from several feet to many metres is through backbreaking manual labour: digging with spades, moving the earth laboriously in taslas (ghamelas), dumping it at a safe distance, and then trying again, all while the clock ticks away for the possible survivors buried below.
There were approximately 228 people living in the little hamlet, which was located below a protruding mound, a piece of which crumbled this morning, according to statements made by Deputy Chief Ministers Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar. The 50 cms rains which rained here over the past three days are thought to be the probable cause of the tragedy, and efforts to rescue the remaining 80 missing persons are being given top priority.
Opposition leader Ambadas Danve also walked up the hill to the scene of the tragedy, where he spoke with the locals and offered any assistance that he could.
As the construction continued, the hillside area looked more and more like a devastated war zone, with appliances and household items strewn about and no sign of the residents.
In addition, Shinde communicated with the Indian Air Force, which had a helicopter ready for an aerial survey, search, and rescue operation but was unable to operate it due to bad weather in the area.
BMC Commissioner I.S. Chahal claimed that the city dispatched three Bobcat machines and a poclain earthmover from Mumbai to assist with the rescue efforts.
Food & Civil Supplies Minister Chhagan Bhujbal said that arrangements shall be made for the victims and their families to avail free rations till their broken lives return on track, even as the government announced a compensation of Rs 500,000 to the kin of the deceased and free treatment for the injured.
Tea, snacks, or meals have been prepared for the grieving families, rescue workers, and others who will be visiting the scene of the tragedy by local groups, NGOs, and others.
In addition to Shinde and Danve, Aditya Thackeray, ministers Aditi Tatkare, Girish Mahajan, Uday Samant, and the state president of Congress, Nana Patole, all went to the scene of the tragedy.—Inputs from Agencies