BHUBANESWAR, Nov. 2 -- The death toll from Cyclone Arnab and the floods and landslides it triggered in Odisha rose to six after rescue teams recovered two bodies from a devastated village in the southern part of the state, officials said. At least 10 people remained missing as search operations continued on Monday.
The hilltop village of Gidipabali, located near the border of Ganjam and Kandhamal districts, was buried under mud, rocks and debris following heavy rainfall associated with the cyclone. The landslide flattened houses and left rescue personnel struggling to reach survivors in difficult mountainous terrain. Officials said the village, which had around 26 residents, was among the worst-hit locations. At least 13 people who escaped the disaster were shifted to a relief centre near G Udaygiri. Personnel from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force (ODRAF), Fire Services and other agencies were deployed to locate those feared trapped beneath the debris. Rescue workers used specialised equipment, including seismic life-detection devices and pulley systems, to search the affected area. The absence of a motorable road to the village complicated operations, forcing teams to negotiate steep and difficult terrain.
State Fire Service Director General Sudhanshu Sarangi confirmed the recovery of two bodies from the landslide site. Officials said the search would continue for the remaining missing residents. Earlier, three members of a family had died in a landslide in Kandhamal district, while another person was swept away by floodwaters in Gajapati district. Special Relief Commissioner Rajesh Prabhakar Patil said Cyclone Arnab and the subsequent flooding had affected approximately 1.18 lakh people in Odisha, with Ganjam and Kandhamal among the worst-hit districts. The cyclone damaged 1,672 houses and affected crops across approximately 75,388 hectares. Authorities evacuated more than 75,000 people to safer locations and opened nearly 400 relief camps.
Patil said at least 10 landslides had been reported in the state following the intense rainfall brought by Arnab, which made landfall in neighbouring Andhra Pradesh on October 28. More than 6,400 personnel were deployed to restore electricity supplies in cyclone-affected areas. Officials said power restoration had been completed in most parts of southern Odisha, although work continued in severely damaged locations. Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi conducted an aerial survey of the affected areas and announced a special assistance package for families impacted by the floods. Under the package, each affected family in southern Odisha would receive 50 kg of rice and Rs 2,500, apart from financial assistance for damage to crops, houses and livelihoods. Majhi said the government was making every effort to locate missing residents and restore essential services. He also indicated that the relief measures would be reviewed after assessing the impact of Cyclone Murasu.
An eight-member inter-ministerial central team was scheduled to visit Odisha from November 2 to 4 to assess the damage caused by Arnab. Even as rescue and restoration operations continued, Odisha stepped up preparations for Cyclone Murasu, which was forecast to cross the Andhra Pradesh coast during the night of November 2-3. The India Meteorological Department warned that southern Odisha could experience renewed rainfall, with the intensity likely to increase on November 3 and continue into November 4. The state government placed vulnerable southern districts on alert and directed officials to evacuate residents from low-lying areas and landslide-prone hillsides. Disaster Management Minister Suresh Pujari said arrangements made during Cyclone Arnab had been retained and strengthened to deal with the approaching storm.
The administration also advised fishermen against venturing into the sea and instructed disaster response teams to remain ready for emergency deployments. With several communities still recovering from the earlier cyclone, officials said preventing further casualties and ensuring the safety of vulnerable residents remained the immediate priorities.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.