Rescue operations are pressing on at the landslide-hit village of Gidipabali in Bhanjanagar, Ganjam district, Odisha, with authorities deploying sophisticated life-detection equipment to locate survivors still believed to be buried under debris. Odisha Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Suresh Pujari on Tuesday, 3 November said teams were working around the clock despite challenging terrain and adverse weather.

Rescue Operation on Ground

Minister Pujari confirmed that rescue teams had worked through the previous day and into late evening, resuming operations early on Tuesday morning. 'Despite adverse weather conditions, rescue teams worked throughout the day yesterday, continuing their operations until late evening. The operation resumed early this morning,' he said.

He added that modern, sophisticated equipment is being used to detect signs of life beneath the debris. 'We are hopeful that the missing persons are alive. We pray to Mahaprabhu Jagannath for their safety, early detection and safe return to society,' Pujari said.

Terrain Makes Access Extremely Difficult

DGP Odisha Fire Services and Home Guards Sudhanshu Sarangi told reporters that the rescue site falls under the Bhanjanagar sub-division but is accessed via the Kandhamal district side due to the landslide's impact. The route is described as narrow, slushy, and arduous, significantly slowing the pace of operations.

Enormous boulders — some reportedly as large as houses — have tumbled down the hillside and crushed dwellings beneath them. Thick mud cannot be cleared until the boulders are first removed, a task requiring heavy machinery that is difficult to transport along the compromised trail. 'There is also no proper place for the teams to stay, forcing them to return after working for a limited period,' Sarangi said.

Scale of Deployment

Approximately 250 rescue personnel from multiple agencies are stationed at the site, including Odisha Fire Services, Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force (ODRAF), Odisha Police, Railway personnel, and a team from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF). Close to 100 labourers are also assisting on the ground.

Casualties and Missing Persons

According to Sarangi, one body has been recovered and identified by the victim's family, with last rites already performed. A second body has been located but cannot yet be retrieved due to heavy soil accumulation over it.

Around 13 people were initially reported missing after a massive landslide struck Gidipabali village on 28 October, triggered by exceptional rainfall linked to Cyclone Arnab. The disaster has left entire homes buried under metres of mud and rock.

Background and What Comes Next

This comes amid a pattern of cyclone-induced landslides that have increasingly threatened hill-adjacent communities in coastal and interior Odisha. Cyclone Arnab's exceptional rainfall overwhelmed drainage and destabilised slopes across Ganjam and neighbouring districts. Officials have not yet specified a timeline for concluding the rescue phase, with Sarangi promising further updates as the operation progresses. The focus now shifts to whether the life-detection equipment can identify any survivors before weather and terrain conditions deteriorate further.