Raigad landslide: Ajit Pawar urges aid for victims, cancels birthday celebrations

Ajit Pawar. File Pic

Following the landslide in Irsalwadi village in Raigad district of Maharashtra, Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar has decided to forgo the celebration of his birthday this year. The incident, where a crack fell on houses, causing significant loss of life and property, has left the entire state in mourning.

Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar expressed his deepest grief over the devastating incident and has made an earnest plea to his followers, party activists, and well-wishers not to celebrate his birthday as usual. Every year, his birthday is celebrated on a grand scale, with people from all corners of the state coming together to mark the occasion. However, in light of the Irsalwadi tragedy, Ajit Pawar believes that it would be inappropriate to engage in any festivities, an official statement said.

In Photos: Five dead in landslide in Maharashtra`s Raigad district

1 year agoPHOTO GALLERY

Instead, the Deputy Chief Minister has requested that the funds traditionally allocated for birthday celebrations be redirected towards the reconstruction of Irsalwadi village and to provide much-needed assistance to the affected villagers. He urged people not to spend money on bouquets, hoardings, or advertisements but to contribute towards helping the victims recover and rebuild their lives.

Five persons have died after a massive landslide at a village in Maharashtra's Raigad district, an official told news agency on Thursday.

While 75 persons have been rescued, many are still feared trapped, the official said. Four NDRF teams are engaged in rescue work, he added.

The village has around 50 houses, of which 17 were buried under the landslide, the official said. The landslide followed torrential rains in the area.

NDRF personnel recovered one body from the landslide spot, while four bodies were recovered by rescue teams earlier.

The village is six km from Morbe dam, which supplies water to Navi Mumbai.

Minister Uday Samant said those rescued have been admitted to a hospital in Navi Mumbai.

Chief Minister Eknath Shinde reached the site and spoke to personnel engaged in rescue operations. "This village was not in the list of landslide-prone villages," he told reporters there.

"Our priority now is to rescue those still trapped beneath the rubble," he said.

The landslide occurred around 11 pm on Wednesday at Irshalwadi village in Khalapur tehsil, around 80 km from Mumbai, the officials said.

The village is located near Irshalgad fortress located between Matheran and Panvel. The fortress is a sister fort to Prabalgad.