Twelve missing after landslide in Odisha's Ganjam district
Rain-related deaths have risen to four as search operations continue for missing persons in Ganjam and Kandhamal.
At least 12 people are missing after a landslide triggered by heavy rain under the influence of Cyclone Arnab struck Gidipabali village in Odisha's Ganjam district on Friday. According to The Indian Express, the landslide occurred at a hilltop hamlet under the Bhanjanagar block near the Ganjam-Kandhamal border.
Odisha Special Relief Commissioner Rajesh Patil said that while 13 people were initially untraceable, one person has been rescued and moved to a relief shelter. More than 170 personnel from the NDRF, ODRAF, fire services, and the Special Operation Group are involved in the search efforts.
The rain-related death toll has risen to four. In Kandhamal district's Raikia block, three members of a family, including a baby, died in a landslide at a village. Another death was confirmed in Gajapati district, according to reports.
In Ganjam, over 1.05 lakh people have been affected by floods, while more than 25,000 people were affected in Gajapati. Nearly 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. The bulletin stated it is likely to intensify into a cyclonic storm and reach the westcentral Bay of Bengal near the Andhra Pradesh coast around the evening of November 2, 2026.