Odisha short of equipment, may use explosives to rescue landslide victims

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Massive boulders and mud blocks completely cover a road following a landslide triggered by heavy and continuous rainfall, in Gajapati on Saturday, October 31, 2026. | Photo Credit: ANI VIdeo Grab

Five people were killed and 10 others are feared trapped under debris after heavy rains triggered by Cyclone Arnab caused massive landslides in Odisha. Disaster management authorities are now keeping a close watch on Cyclonic Storm Murasu, which threatens to trigger further landslides across the State.

While Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force (ODRAF), National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), and Indian Railways technical teams have been working for nearly 50 hours to rescue survivors trapped under the landslide debris at Gidipabali village in Bhanjanagar block of Ganjam district, the State Government is preparing for Cyclonic Storm Murasu and has identified 150 landslide-prone locations in Gajapati district alone.

Arnab dropped heavy rain on Gajapati, Ganjam and Kandhamal districts. Gajapati is likely to be hit again.

A landslide struck the remote Gidipabali village on Wednesday (October 28, 2026), burying seven houses. Ten people remain untraced. Survivors managed to alert district authorities after overcoming physical barriers, but rescue teams arrived only on Friday (October 30, 2026).

“Massive boulders have rolled down on the village. Since there is no road access, cranes and earthmovers cannot be deployed. We have sought the assistance of experienced railway engineers who have expertise in controlled blasting to break up boulders. We are exploring that option,” said Director General of Police (Fire Services) Sudhansu Sarangi on Sunday (November 1, 2026).

Special Relief Commissioner Rajesh Prabhakar Patil warned that the situation could worsen as the ground was already saturated and heavy rain was forecast in southern Odisha under the influence of Murasu. “We have directed district collectors to evacuate people from vulnerable areas,” he said.

Evacuation measures ahead of the cyclone began on Sunday (November 1, 2026) evening and are scheduled to continue on Monday (November 2, 2026).

The India Meteorological Department (IMD), Bhubaneswar, Director Manorama Mohanty said southern and southern coastal districts of Odisha were likely to receive heavy rainfall as Cyclone Murasu approached the Andhra Pradesh coastline.

“Although several districts of Odisha are likely to receive rain, those in the southern region need to take additional precautions in view of the heavy rainfall forecast,” she said.

The district administrations of Malkangiri and Nabarangpur have already announced the closure of schools and colleges.

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