Twelve missing after landslide in Odisha's Ganjam district
Rain-related deaths have risen to four across Odisha following Cyclone Arnab.
At least 12 people are missing after a landslide struck Gidipabali village in the Bhanjanagar block of Ganjam district on Friday. The landslide was triggered by heavy rainfall under the influence of Cyclone Arnab.
Odisha Special Relief Commissioner Rajesh Patil said that one person has been rescued and moved to a relief shelter. A search operation involving more than 170 personnel from the NDRF, ODRAF, fire services, and the Special Operation Group is currently underway.
The landslide occurred at a hilltop hamlet on the Ganjam-Kandhamal border. While 13 people were initially reported missing, Patil noted that 12 residents had moved to safety as rainfall intensified on Wednesday night.
Separate rain-related incidents have caused four deaths. Three family members, including a baby, died in a landslide at Dangesi village in Kandhamal district, while another death was confirmed in Gajapati district.
Floods have affected over 1.05 lakh people in Ganjam and more than 25,000 in Gajapati. Approximately 40,000 people are currently staying in 367 relief camps across Ganjam.
The India Meteorological Department has forecast the formation of another cyclonic storm over the Bay of Bengal, which is expected to reach the Andhra Pradesh coast around the evening of November 2, 2026.