Bhubaneswar: The rescue operation at the Gidipabali landslide site in Odisha’s Ganjam district was temporarily suspended on Wednesday due to adverse weather conditions, even as families of those missing in the disaster sought to perform their last rites.
The administration, meanwhile, has decided to make one final attempt to trace the missing persons before formally calling off the rescue operation.
The decision came after the Collectors of Ganjam and Kandhamal districts, along with the Kandhamal Superintendent of Police (SP), visited nine affected families at a relief camp in Kilapanga on Tuesday.
During the interaction, family members said they wanted to come to terms with the tragedy and move on with their lives. They expressed their desire to perform the final rites of their missing relatives according to their customs on Wednesday, the Information and Public Relations (I&PR) Department said in a statement posted on social media platform X.
The administration assured the families of all possible assistance in conducting the rituals and helping them rebuild their lives.
Rescue operations at the landslide site have encountered significant challenges despite several measures undertaken over the past few days.
Life-detection machines, dog squads, experts from IIT, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) personnel and railway teams were deployed to locate those trapped under the debris.
Controlled blasting was also carried out as part of the rescue efforts.
However, experts have assessed that at least 30 feet of debris remains at the site. The accumulation of debris, coupled with at least three successive landslides in the area, has made further excavation extremely difficult, the department said.
It further stated that additional blasting could trigger fresh landslides and endanger the lives of rescue personnel.
Considering the prevailing weather conditions, the administration has decided to keep the rescue operation suspended on Wednesday. It plans to resume the search for another couple of days once the weather improves.
Officials said they wanted to make one final attempt to locate the missing persons before formally calling off the operation, taking into account the wishes of the affected families.
