Pune village landslide toll reaches 70

As hopes of finding more survivors are receding, rescuers dug out 29 more bodies since Thursday night as the toll in the Malin landslide disaster rose to 70 late Friday evening.

Over 100 people were still feared trapped under the debris of the landslide that flattened 44 houses in the village located in a hilly terrain in Ambegaon taluka on Wednesday.

NDRF personnel, whose relentless rescue efforts entered the 3 day today, wore masks to keep out stench of the decomposed bodies.

The dead victims whose bodies have been extricated so far include 28 males, 32 females and 10 children, the district control room set up to monitor the situation said.

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Three hundred NDRF personnel, which is leading the rescue efforts, have been braving hostile weather and difficult terrain as they continued to look for life under the huge mound of debris as hope for more lives slowly dimmed 48 hours after the village in Ambegaon taluka was hit by the landslide.

Intermittent rains have continued to hamper the rescue operations being carried out since Wednesday morning when a massive landslide buried under its debris 44 houses trapping about 160 residents of the wiped out village.

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NDRF jawans are moving JCBs and dumpers cautiously to ensure safety of possible survivors under mud and stone debris of the hillock that caved-in on July 30 even as over 100 people are still believed to be trapped inside.

Meanwhile, Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan on Friday announced a financial aid of Rs five lakh to the next of kin of each of the victims.

Officials in the Chief Minister's office said the assistance would be provided from the CM Relief fund. 

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Free medical treatment will be given to the injured and proper rehabilitation of the village will be done on priority, they said.

Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh had yesterday visited Malin village, the scene of the tragedy over 100 km from Pune, and announced an assistance of Rs 2 lakh to the next of kin of each of the deceased from the PM Relief Fund.

Mass cremation of several victims was conducted at the site by grieving relatives on Thursday