By Braja Bihari Nanda

Phulbani: THE fourth day of rescue operations at Gidipabali ended on Tuesday, with no trace of the 11 villagers still missing after the landslide. Rescue teams continued their search amid challenging conditions, while the decomposed carcasses of many domestic animals were recovered from the site.

Meanwhile, the last rites of Sanaman Pradhan, whose body was recovered on Monday, were performed on Tuesday in the presence of family members and district officials. The funeral was held in a sombre atmosphere as villagers and relatives gathered to pay their final respects. The last rites of RabindraMallik, whose body was recovered on the first day of the rescue operation, had been performed on Sunday.

Sanaman’s wife, Rinima, and their twin daughters could not attend the funeral. They are currently staying at a relief camp at Kilapanga Primary School. Overwhelmed with grief, Rinima has been struggling to come to terms with the loss of her husband while also caring for her young daughters amid the uncertainty surrounding the disaster.

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Though the Baliguda Sub-Collector had assured her on Sunday that arrangements would be made for her to attend the funeral, she eventually decided against travelling. Adverse weather, transport difficulties and the challenges of taking her young children along influenced her decision.

Rinima’s relatives, District Chief Development Officer Sambhunath Nandi and other officials attended the funeral.