Four days after a landslide hit Taliye village in Mahad tehsil in Raigad district, authorities called off rescue operations on Monday. Raigad Collector Nidhi Choudhari said the 31 missing people would be declared dead after following due process. In the evening, the families paid their respects at the spot of the landslide by offering flowers.
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Bharatshet Gogavale, Shiv Sena MLA from Mahad, said the bodies stuck under the soil would have got decomposed. “They deserve dignity in death. After having a meeting with villagers and rescue teams, we decided to call off the efforts as none had any hopes to find anyone alive after so many days. Every relative of the missing person submitted their consent letter to the district administration in this regard,” he said.
According to district authorities, 53 bodies have so far been recovered — 27 men and 26 women — which included five children. Of the 31 missing, 17 are women and 14 men, including a one-year-old girl. There are five people who have suffered injuries.