Three Bodies Recovered as Search Continues in Landslide-Hit Ganjam Village; 8 Still Missing

Bhubaneswar: Rescue teams on Thursday recovered three bodies, including a mother and her child, from the debris of the landslide-struck Gidipabali village in Odisha’s Ganjam district. Eight residents remain missing as multi-agency search and rescue efforts enter a critical phase following the disaster triggered by torrential rains from Cyclone Arnab.
The landslide devastated the remote hilltop hamlet under Baibali Panchayat in Bhanjanagar block around 3:00 AM on October 28. A massive surge of mud, rocks, and uprooted trees rushed down from the hillside, burying houses while families slept. The tragedy has impacted almost the entire population of the small village, which consists of nine families totaling roughly 26 residents.
Around 100 personnel,comprising NDRF, ODRAF, Fire Services, and local administration teams have been deployed at the site. Operations have faced severe delays due to terrain difficulties, lack of direct road access, and massive boulders obstructing the debris field. Authorities are seeking technical assistance from the Mines Department to break the large rock formations preventing rescue teams from clearing the site and searching for the remaining missing victims.