2 weeks ago

Rescuers Race Against Time for Man Trapped After Mumbai Landslide

Rescuers Race Against Time for Man Trapped After Mumbai Landslide
30 hours on, rescuers race against time to find man trapped under boulder after Mumbai landslide · indianexpress.com

In Mumbai, a big part of a hillside broke apart and crashed down onto homes below.

Sadly, seven people died, and several others got trapped under the heavy rocks and rubble.

One man, Saddam Hussain Shaikh, is still trapped beneath a huge boulder that fell on his small home.

Rescue workers from special emergency teams started saving people on Wednesday morning at 5 o'clock.

More than 30 hours later, they are still working to reach him.

The rescue is very difficult because the lanes are extremely narrow and the ground is shaky.

Big machines and cranes cannot reach the spot because it is on a hilltop far from the road.

So the workers have to break the huge rocks with hammers and dig with shovels and their hands.

The rescue teams are worried that the man's chance of surviving is getting very low.

But they are racing against time and have not given up.

Key facts

Incident
Landslide on hillock above Gaushiya chawl
Location
Gaushiya chawl, Kurla area, Mumbai
Fatalities
7
Person still trapped
Saddam Hussain Shaikh
Rescue operation began
5 am, Wednesday, August 12
Rescue agencies
National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), Mumbai Fire Brigade (MFB)
Site access
Hilltop about 2 km from base, no proper road access
Key challenges
Narrow 2- to 2.5-foot passages, shaky ground, manual cutting of boulders

Quotes

NDRF official

Representative of the National Disaster Response Force involved in the rescue operation.

“It is extremely difficult to cut through such large boulders manually. In such mountainous conditions, when a person is trapped beneath huge boulders and debris and has remained there for a prolonged period, the chances of survival are very low.”
indianexpress.com
“In some portions, there is barely a 2- to 2.5-foot passage, making it extremely difficult for our personnel to enter, move around, and carry out the search.”
indianexpress.com

Ravindra Ambulgekar

Chief Fire Officer of the Mumbai Fire Brigade.

“The hilltop is nearly 2 km from the base of the hill, which is the last point accessible to vehicles. Rescue personnel therefore have to walk up and down the slope to reach the site and transport equipment and supplies. This is a mammoth task which is contributing to slow progress of the operation.”
indianexpress.com

Sources

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