12 missing after landslide in Odisha’s Ganjam; rain-related death toll rises to four

A landslide struck Gidipabali, a hilltop hamlet in Odisha’s Ganjam district, on Friday. Torrential rain associated with Cyclone Arnab triggered the disaster. The village lies under Bhanjanagar block, along the Ganjam-Kandhamal border. Officials intensified the search because residents were trapped or unaccounted for.

The hamlet had 26 residents. Thirteen people were relocated before the landslide because of heavy rainfall. Officials then reported that 13 people were still missing. One person was rescued alive and moved to a relief shelter, leaving 12 people still missing.

More than 170 rescuers from the NDRF, ODRAF, fire services and Odisha Police’s SOG were searching the site. Officials from Ganjam and Kandhamal were coordinating the operation. The search remained underway, showing how quickly extreme rain can turn a small hilltop settlement into an emergency.

A landslide happens when soil, rocks or other material move rapidly down a slope. It matters because it can bury homes, block roads and trap people with little warning. Hilltop settlements are especially exposed when steep ground becomes unstable. The article links the Gidipabali landslide to torrential rain under the influence of Cyclone Arnab.

Heavy rain can seep into soil and fill spaces between particles. This adds weight and reduces the ground’s strength. Water can also wash away supporting material at the base of a slope. When the slope can no longer resist gravity, layers of earth and rock may slide downhill. At Gidipabali, the result was a mass-casualty search operation.

The article reports that 13 residents were relocated before the slide because of heavy rainfall. Afterward, one person was rescued alive, while 12 remained missing. More than 170 personnel searched the area, illustrating why rainfall warnings, early evacuation and rapid access matter.

The combined disaster was extensive. In Ganjam, more than 1.05 lakh people were affected by flooding. More than 25,000 people were affected in neighbouring Gajapati district. Nearly 40,000 people remained in 367 relief camps across Ganjam, even as floodwaters began receding and the Rushikulya River fell below its danger mark.

The human toll included at least three members of one family, including a nine-month-old baby, who died in a landslide at Dangesi village in Kandhamal district. Officials also confirmed one death in Gajapati. At Gidipabali, 13 people were initially reported missing after the landslide; one was rescued alive, leaving 12 still missing.

The response was still active. More than 170 personnel were searching for survivors, while relief camps housed displaced residents. Communication had returned to all but one Ganjam village, where supplies were being airdropped. Electricity had been restored in 80 percent of affected areas, and drinking-water restoration was planned.

A cyclone can create two different hazards because it carries powerful winds and large amounts of moisture. When that moisture produces torrential rain over hills, water can soak slopes and trigger landslides. When the same rain falls across river catchments, runoff gathers in channels and raises river levels. The article connects Cyclone Arnab’s rain with both dangers.

At Gidipabali, a hilltop hamlet, the rain preceded a landslide that left 12 people missing after one rescue. In the wider Ganjam area, flooding affected more than 1.05 lakh people. The Rushikulya River rose above its danger mark before falling below it, while floodwaters still stood in several villages.

These hazards can occur together but require different responses. Rescue teams search unstable slopes, while authorities evacuate flood-prone communities and operate relief camps. In Ganjam, nearly 40,000 people remained in 367 camps, showing that receding water does not immediately end the emergency.

Remote hilltop communities are difficult to evacuate because steep terrain limits roads and travel routes. A landslide can bury or block those routes at the moment people need help most. Torrential rain can also make slopes unsafe for vehicles and rescuers. Damaged communication links make it harder to identify who is missing and where assistance is needed.

Gidipabali illustrates these problems. It was a hilltop hamlet along the Ganjam-Kandhamal border, under Bhanjanagar block. Thirteen residents were relocated before the landslide, but 13 others were later reported missing. One person was rescued, and officials from both districts coordinated the continuing search.

The wider response shows the practical consequences. More than 170 NDRF, ODRAF, fire-service and police personnel were deployed. In Ganjam, communication was restored to every village except one, where relief material had to be airdropped. Remote access therefore affects evacuation, rescue speed and delivery of food and other essentials.

Large rescue operations divide responsibilities among specialist teams. The NDRF and ODRAF typically locate and extract survivors in dangerous disaster zones. Fire services support rescue, cutting through obstacles and managing immediate hazards. Police units help secure sites, organize movement and support searches. These roles overlap during a fast-moving emergency.

At Gidipabali, more than 170 personnel from the NDRF, ODRAF, fire services and Odisha Police’s Special Operation Group were engaged in searching for missing people. One survivor had already been rescued and taken to a relief shelter. Officials from Ganjam and Kandhamal coordinated the operation because the hamlet lies on their district border.

District officials also connect rescue work with relief. They track missing residents, move people into shelters and arrange supplies when roads fail. In Ganjam, communication was restored to all but one village, where material was airdropped. Electricity restoration and drinking-water repairs were also part of the wider response.

A low-pressure area is a region where air pressure is lower than around it. A depression is a more organized and stronger low-pressure system. A cyclonic storm is a still stronger rotating storm system. These stages describe increasing organization and intensity, although the article does not provide wind-speed thresholds for them.

The usual strengthening mechanism over warm ocean water is heat and moisture. Warm water helps air rise, while moist air releases heat as it forms clouds. This can deepen the low-pressure area and organize thunderstorms around a circulation. The article reported that a well-marked low-pressure area lay over the southeast Bay of Bengal and nearby islands and sea.

The IMD forecast movement west-northwestward into a depression within six hours, then a cyclonic storm within 24 hours. It was expected near the Andhra Pradesh coast around the evening of November 2, 2026. This mattered because Odisha was still recovering from cyclone-related floods and landslides.