M A I N   N E W S

Mumbai landslide toll 67, Army called

MUMBAI, July 13 (UNI) — With the recovery of three more bodies from the debris of the Ghatkopar landslide, the death toll in yesterday’s deluge rose to 67.

Army and naval diving teams have been called in to help authorities in carrying out rescue operations.

More than 150 firebrigade personnel continued search and rescue operations. Looking for survivors in the mass of mud that came down on 100 hutments following heavy rains. The dead include 27 men, 15 women and 15 children.

The Army has been called in to assist the civic authorities here in carrying out search and rescue operations at the Chiragnagar-Azadnagar locality at Ghatkopar in the eastern suburbs here.

The Navy pressed three squads in flooded areas of Kurla, Santacruz and Andheri with life boats, a Navy spokesman said.

The quick response of the firebrigade saved 54 lives of whom 21 were undergoing treatment at the Rajawadi Hospital at Ghatkopar and the Lokmanya Tilak Municipalised General Hospital at Sion. Twenty three were discharged after treatment.

Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh visited the site of the mishap this morning while Deputy Chief Minister Chhagan Bhujbal went there last night to console the bereaved families. Mayor Hareshwar Patil and Municipal Commissioner V. Ranganathan twice visited and personally supervised the search and rescue operations and rehabilitation of the survivors.

Three persons were killed in another landslide at the park-site slum at Vikhroli.

Three children were washed away in the flood waters at North-West suburb’s Santa Cruz and in the same locality’s Vakola area, taking the toll in the three mishaps to 67.

The government announced ex-gratia of Rs 25,000 to the next of the kin of those killed in the landslide and Rs 10,000 to every injured.