At least sixteen people died Thursday in a landslide that affected their village in the central western Indian state of Maharashtra, according to authorities, and the death toll could rise.
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The Indian government said sixteen residents were killed but rescue operations had to be halted due to incessant rains and “more landslide threats”.
According to Santosh Kumar, a rescue volunteer, the number of victims could increase. “By my estimate, there are between 60 and 70 bodies. We buried 12 to 14 bodies there,” he told AFP.
The state’s deputy chief minister, Devendra Fadnavis, said at least a thousand rescuers were deployed.
A police officer, Harish Kalsekar, told AFP that it was feared around 50 people were buried in the mud and debris.
Photo: AFP
Since the start of India’s monsoon season in early June, floods and landslides have killed dozens of people in the country. Experts believe that climate change is increasing the number of extreme weather events worldwide.
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