Even as the Malin landslide death toll rose to 143 on Tuesday, health officials face a daunting task to prevent an epidemic outbreak amid unceasing downpours.
As rescue operations continued unabated a week after the disaster, fears of contamination have gripped adjoining areas, as officials conducted bacteriological and chlorine residual tests to safeguard public health.
“As many as 14 water samples from 20 villages near Malin have been sent to the sub-divisional laboratory at Manchar to rule out faecal contamination,” said Sanjeev Jadhav, Additional District Health Officer. He said more than 500 houses had been provided with ‘Medichlor’ kits to check contamination.
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The rapidly decomposing bodies have spurred the administration to conduct fogging and spraying works in the area.
Among those perished were 57 men, 67 women and 19 children. Rotting carcasses of 43 animals too were recovered from the debris. Relatives performed last rites of their loved ones in mass cremations close to the spot of the catastrophe.
Trauma care centres for children around Malin village — helmed by doctors from Sassoon hospital among others — have been set up.
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National Disaster Response Force personnel said they would stop operations only after all 158 bodies have been accounted for.
“Eighty per cent of the excavation work has been completed. We are taking precautions following inputs by the Geological Survey of India of a recurrence,” said Alok Awasthy, NDRF commandant.
Two killedMeanwhile, excessive rainfall triggered landslides across the hilly regions in western Maharashtra.
Two persons were reportedly killed in a landslide in Ratnagiri’s Khed Taluk, while the Kolhapur-Mahabaleshwar road was blocked for several hours owing to rock fall.