The number of fatalities resulting from the extensive landslides in Wayanad district, Kerala, surpassed 300 on Friday, as rescue teams hurried to locate survivors still trapped beneath the rubble and in collapsed structures. To date, 308 individuals have lost their lives due to the landslides caused by intense rainfall in the mountainous regions of Wayanad. As rescue efforts entered their fourth day, operations will be expanded to incorporate drone-based radar technology aimed at identifying any remaining survivors.
More than 200 individuals sustained injuries during the rescue operation, which was impeded by a number of obstacles such as hazardous terrain caused by damaged roads and bridges, as well as a lack of necessary equipment and heavy machinery. This shortage made it challenging for emergency responders to remove mud and fallen trees that obstructed houses and other structures.
WAYANAD RESCUE OPERATIONS UPDATES
- The Indian Army, NDRF, Coast Guard, and the Indian Navy will collaborate to conduct search operations in the affected areas. Each team will consist of three locals and one forest department employee.
- Rescue personnel will form forty teams to divide the search areas into six zones for the rescue operations. The first zone includes Attamala and Aaranmala, while Mundakkai is the second zone. The third zone is Punjirimattam, followed by Vellarmala Village Road as the fourth zone, GVHSS Vellarmala as the fifth zone, and downstream of the river Chaliyar as the sixth zone.
- In addition to the joint team, police personnel from eight surrounding police stations and local swimming experts will also participate in the search. A helicopter will be used for a parallel search.
- To provide immediate medical assistance, 25 ambulances will cross the Bailey Bridge, constructed by the Indian Army, to reach Mundakkai after the structure collapsed due to landslides. Furthermore, a drone-based radar from Delhi will arrive on Saturday to aid in the search for survivors.
- The Coast Guard, Navy, and Forest Department officials will search the banks of the river Chaliyar and other potential locations for washed-up bodies.
- Four additional dogs from Tamil Nadu will be transported to Wayanad today to join the six canines already involved in the rescue efforts.
- Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Congress leaders who arrived in Wayanad to oversee the rescue operations, will convene with party leaders on Friday for relief work. They will also meet with a delegation of Meppadi gram panchayat and attend a briefing by the district administration.
- The Gandhi siblings visited the landslide victims on Thursday and will tour the forest office in Mundakkai and Chooralmala today, both of which were heavily damaged by the landslides.
- US President Joe Biden expressed his condolences to the families of those who died in the Wayanad landslides and commended the rescuers for their dedication and bravery despite the challenges in the recovery efforts.
- While over 200 people were injured, the Army and other officials have rescued around 1,000 individuals, and the death toll is expected to rise as the rescue operations continue.
- The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecasted 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.