INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Wayanad: National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) personnel conduct rescue operation after huge landslides in the hilly areas near Meppadi,
in Wayanad district, Kerala
(Photo: PTI)4 min read Last Updated : Jul 31 2024 | 9:03 AM IST
The death toll in the Wayanad landslide tragedy climbed to 143 on
Wednesday,, with several injured and trapped, according to the State Health Department.
Relief and rescue operations are underway in
Wayanad's Chooralmala after a landslide broke out yesterday.
The massive landslide wreaked havoc in the region as houses and roads were
damaged, trees uprooted and water bodies swelled, hindering rescue operations.
Meanwhile, on Tuesday, the national flag is at half-mast at
the Kerala Legislative Assembly as a two-day mourning period is observed in the state following the Wayanad landslide that claimed 143
lives.
On Tuesday, Union Minister George Kurian reached Wayanad to take stock of ongoing relief operations, where he interacted with
senior officials of the NDRF, CRPF and Army officials
He also visited a relief camp at Kalpetta at 11 pm.
"Reached Wayanad hit by a massive landslide and took stock of relief ops
Interacted with senior officials of NDRF, CRPF and Army officials
Visited a relief camp at Kalpetta at 11 pm," Kurian wrote in a post on X.
NDRF Commander Akhilesh Kumar has said "We rescued injured
victims from Mundakkai village yesterday
We fear victims might be trapped in collapsed buildings..
Till 10 pm last night, we rescued 70 people, after which we had to stop because of bad weather and rain..
Since many teams are working, we cannot give an exact number of deaths, because we only know about the dead bodies our team has recovered..
People have been given shelter in a resort and a mosque on the other side of the river
Since rainfall is going on, there are chances of another landslide."
Meanwhile, in reports just coming in, Kerala health Minister Veena
George's vehicle met with a minor accident near Manjeri in Malappuram district
She was travelling to Wayanad
No major injuries were reported to either the health minister or her staff
The Health Minister is being treated at Manjeri Medical College.
Earlier, in response to the landslide in Wayanad, Veena George visited
the Health Department Directorate to assess the ongoing arrangements
She provided a detailed overview of the situation and instructed for precise tracking of available hospital beds in the affected areas, as
per the Kerala Health Minister's Office.
Minister George also recommended setting up temporary hospitals if necessary and emphasised the
need to evaluate the mortuary systems at existing hospitals, including the utilization of mobile mortuaries
She also reviewed the operations of the control room, which will function 24/7 to assist both health workers and the public, Kerala Health
Minister's Office.
On Tuesday morning, two massive landslides that washed away the Mundakkai and Chooramala areas of Vellarimala village
took place under Meppadi Panchayat in Wayanad.
The landslides destroyed several houses, uprooted trees and made water bodies swell,
hampering the rescue work.
Meanwhile, as per the India Meteorological Department (IMD), "Heavy to very heavy rainfall is very likely to
occur at isolated places in Kerala on July 31 and August 1."'
The weather department has predicted heavy rainfall for August 2
Additionally, it said, "Strong surface winds with speeds reaching 30-40 gusting to 50 kmph are likely to prevail occasionally over Kerala on
Many areas, including Meppadi, Mundakkai and Chooralmala, have been isolated, and roads have been washed away
The Vellarmala GVH School was completely buried.
Late on Tuesday, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan held a high-level meeting to expedite
the rescue operations at the landslide-affected Chooralmala in Wayanad
The meeting was held at the Kerala SDMA office and included discussions on enhancing operations through collaboration with various central
agencies - forces.First Published: Jul 31 2024 | 7:54 AMIST
