The death toll from Tuesday’s devastating landslides in Kerala’s Wayanad district has surpassed 300, with rescuers racing against time to find survivors trapped under collapsed buildings and debris. As of Friday, 308 people have lost their lives due to the landslides triggered by heavy rainfall in the hilly areas of Wayanad.
Rescue operations have entered their fourth day and will be further expanded to include drone-based radar to locate survivors. Over 200 individuals have sustained injuries, with rescue efforts hampered by various challenges, including treacherous terrain caused by destroyed roads and bridges, and a shortage of heavy equipment needed to clear mud and uprooted trees that have fallen on houses and other structures.
A joint team comprising the Indian Army, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), Coast Guard, and Indian Navy will conduct searches in the affected areas. Each team will include three locals and one forest department employee. Forty teams of rescue personnel will divide the search areas into six zones: Attamala and Aaranmala (zone one), Mundakkai (zone two), Punjirimattam (zone three), Vellarmala Village Road (zone four), GVHSS Vellarmala (zone five), and downstream of the river Chaliyar (zone six).
Police personnel from eight surrounding police stations and locals who are expert swimmers will also participate in the searches. Additionally, a parallel search will be conducted using a helicopter. As many as 25 ambulances will cross the Bailey Bridge, constructed by the Indian Army in record time, to reach Mundakkai after the original structure collapsed due to the landslides. A drone-based radar from Delhi is expected to arrive on Saturday to aid in the search for survivors. Coast Guard, Navy, and Forest Department officials will search along the banks of the river Chaliyar and other areas where bodies may have washed up.
Four additional dogs from Tamil Nadu will join the six canines already involved in the rescue operations. Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, who arrived in Wayanad to oversee the rescue efforts, will meet with party leaders on Friday for relief work. They will also meet with a delegation from Meppadi gram panchayat and attend a briefing by the district administration. The Gandhi siblings met with landslide victims on Thursday and will visit the heavily damaged areas of the forest office in Mundakkai and Chooralmala today.
US President Joe Biden extended his condolences to the families of the victims and praised the rescuers for their commitment and bravery despite the challenging conditions. While over 200 people have been injured, the Army and other officials have rescued around 1,000 individuals. The death toll is expected to rise as rescue operations continue.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted more rain for Wayanad and several other districts over the next few days. A red alert for heavy rain has been issued for Idukki, Thrissur, Palakkad, Malappuram, Kozhikode, Kannur, and Kasargod districts.
For ongoing updates and detailed coverage of the Wayanad landslides and rescue operations, stay tuned to our news channel.
