Cyclone Arnab Triggers Landslides, Floods In Odisha; 3 Killed, Rescue Ops Near Completion

Phulbani: Three people were killed following heavy rainfall triggered by Cyclone Arnab caused landslides and floods in Odisha's Kandhamal district, with rescue operations nearing completion and restoration work underway, Collector and District Magistrate Ved Bhushan said.   

Two others have been rescued. The district magistrate said Raikia block was among the worst-affected areas, with several villages cut off due to heavy rainfall. The administration had managed to re-establish contact with residents in the affected areas and was providing them with essential supplies. 

In Dangesi village, houses were washed away, and three people lost their lives. Two others, including an elderly woman and her son, were rescued, the Collector said. The deceased were handed over to their relatives, while the survivors were shifted to nearby Shikabadi village, where the administration is providing rations, drinking water and medicines. 

"Some areas became completely cut off; we have been working to establish contact with them, and we have now succeeded," Bhushan said. 

He added that the administration was deploying JCB machines to clear roads leading to another affected village in the same Gram Panchayat. Essential supplies, including dry rations and medicines, were also being provided to residents there. 

Explaining the administration's response strategy, Bhushan said the priority was to carry out rescue operations, followed by relief measures to ensure the well-being of those rescued, and finally restoration of essential services and damaged infrastructure. 

The Collector said rescue operations in Kandhamal were nearing completion, while restoration work had already begun. He expressed hope that there would be no further rainfall and said a team had also been sent to Ganjam district to assist in rescue efforts in flood-affected areas. 

Odisha Panchayati Raj Minister Rabi Narayan Naik has also been camping in Kandhamal and visiting affected areas to monitor the ongoing rescue operations. 

Heavy rainfall triggered by Cyclone Arnab on Thursday caused a major landslide at Taptapani Ghat on the Gajapati-Ganjam border in Odisha, bringing vehicular traffic to a complete halt, while sections of National Highway 326 were washed away near Ledbandh in Gajapati district.