Odisha landslide: Five more bodies recovered; toll rises to seven

Bhubaneswar: Rescue teams on Thursday recovered five more bodies from beneath the debris at Gidipabali village in Odisha’s Ganjam district, days after a massive landslide triggered by heavy rain from Cyclone Arnab buried homes in the hilltop settlement.

The latest recovery has taken the number of bodies found at the site to seven. The five victims, all members of one family and including three children, were identified as Bijaya Pradhan (25), Bhumika Pradhan (27), Aruna Pradhan (7), Bijayalaxmi Pradhan (6) and Bagri Pradhan (1).

The state government said the district administration, Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force (ODRAF) and Fire Services personnel had been working continuously to clear the debris and recover those missing. Family members identified the bodies and chose to perform the last rites at the landslide site itself, with the administration providing assistance.

The landslide struck Gidipabali on October 28 after exceptional rainfall linked to Cyclone Arnab. Thick mud and huge boulders rolled down the hill onto houses; officials said some boulders were as large as houses, making the clearance operation extremely difficult.

Around 13 people were initially reported missing after the disaster. With seven bodies now recovered, six people remain untraced, and rescue teams continue operations at the site.

(Inputs from IANS)