Daijiworld Media Network – Odisha
Odisha, Oct 4: Incessant rains have wreaked havoc in southern Odisha, with landslides in Gajapati district claiming two lives. The deceased have been identified as Trinath Nayak of Bastriguda gram panchayat and Laxman Nayak of Meripalli gram panchayat, officials confirmed.
Gajapati District Collector Madhumita, in a post on X, confirmed the casualties. Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi expressed deep grief over the incident and announced an ex-gratia of Rs 4 lakh each for the bereaved families. He also directed Commerce and Transport Minister Bibhuti Bhusan Jena to visit the affected areas and oversee relief and rescue measures.

According to police, a major landslide occurred in Bastiguda under R Udaygiri police limits when villagers were returning home, causing boulders to fall. “We deployed a JCB at night and recovered the bodies, which were sent for postmortem. Another landslide in Budishila village blocked a road, which has since been cleared,” said Gajapati SP Jatindra Kumar Panda.
The SP further said that in Mohana police station area, one person was swept away while crossing a stream, while another in Bandhaguda village got trapped during a landslide. Their bodies were later recovered after rescue efforts.
Heavy downpour has led to landslides, waterlogging, and road blockages across Gajapati, Rayagada, and Koraput districts. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) had issued a red alert for extremely heavy rainfall in several districts.
Rescue teams are working to clear debris and trace the missing, including a father-son duo – Kartika Shabara (70) and Rajib Shabara – who went missing in Rayagada block after a landslide.