Rescue efforts persisted on Thursday as the death toll from the landslides that ravaged Chooralmala and Mundakkai areas near Meppadi in Wayanad district of Kerala surpassed 200. The Army, Defence Security Corps (DSC), National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), and the Forest and Fire and Rescue Service personnel, along with volunteers and rescue equipment, including earth movers, combed through the debris in the affected areas.
The landslides, triggered by extremely heavy rain in the hilly areas of Wayanad early on Tuesday, resulted in at least 167 fatalities and over 200 injuries. Additionally, 191 people were reported missing. The Kerala Government has established two control rooms (9656938689 and 8086010833) to address distress calls from citizens.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has declared an ex gratia payment of ₹2 lakh for the families of the deceased and ₹50,000 as compensation for those injured. In the Rajya Sabha, Union Minister Nityanand Rai stated that ₹145 crore has been allocated to Kerala from the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF).
Search intensifies for victims in Chooralmala landslides
The search efforts by rescue teams have been escalated to locate individuals who went missing in the aftermath of the landslip that struck Chooralmala and Mundakkai areas near Meppadi in Wayanad district on Thursday. A total of 173 bodies, comprising 79 men, 70 women, and 23 children, have been recovered from the debris of the landslip, with 94 individuals successfully identified. Autopsies have been performed on 128 of the deceased. Furthermore, the construction of a bailey bridge over the Punnapuzha River at Chooralmala is currently in progress.
Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan reaches Wayanad
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan made his way to Wayanad on Thursday morning, where landslides caused significant damage. Accompanying the Chief Minister on the helicopter from Thiruvananthapuram were Chief Secretary V. Venu and DGP Sheikh Darvesh Sahib. Upon arrival in Kalpetta, Wayanad, CM Vijayan is scheduled to hold meetings with officials to assess the situation at the landslide-affected areas. Subsequently, he will visit the location where rescue efforts are currently ongoing.
LoP Rahul Gandhi reaches Kerala
Rahul Gandhi, the Opposition Leader in Parliament, has arrived at Kannur airport and is on his way to Wayanad. He is joined by Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, who is accompanying the former Member of Parliament representing Wayanad.
The BJP has decided to participate in the Chief Minister’s all-party meeting, despite its previous criticisms of the LDF government’s handling of natural disasters.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has announced its intention to participate in the all-party meeting convened by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan in Wayanad, despite expressing criticism regarding the State government’s handling of natural disaster situations. Initially, there were uncertainties surrounding the BJP’s involvement in the meeting, following remarks from the party’s state president, K. Surendran, who accused the state government of neglecting a natural disaster alert issued by the central authorities. The BJP confirmed that its district president for Wayanad, Prasanth Malavayal, along with Kozhikode zonal president T.P. Jayachandran and K. Sadanandan, a member of the party’s State committee, will be in attendance at the meeting.
Stranded families at landslip-hit Vilangad in Kozhikode seek help for food kits
More than 200 families are currently stranded in various locations within the landslip-affected Vilangad village in the Vanimel panchayat of Kozhikode, Kerala. These families are in urgent need of essential items such as rice, sugar, and other food supplies, as there are no nearby grocery stores in the area. Residents of these families, located in the hilly region, are relying solely on the assistance provided by a help desk established by the panchayat authorities. However, this help desk is facing challenges in meeting the demands of the affected families. Selma Raju, a member of the Vanimel grama panchayat representing Vilangad, stated, “The two small grocery stores near Manjacheeli, one of the affected areas, are currently out of stock. With five relief camps set up, the panchayat authorities are struggling to effectively respond to the situation.”
The government has appointed four Deputy Collectors to support the administration of Wayanad district.
The Wayanad district administration is being supported by four deputy collectors appointed by the State government. Dr. Arun. J.O, who serves as Deputy Collector (Election), Biju. C, ADM of Palakkad, Ajeesh. K, ADM of Kozhikode, and P.N.Purushothaman, Deputy Collector (LR) of Kozhikode, were named in a government press release.
In an interview with The Hindu, geoscientist C.P. Rajendran links the landslides in Wayanad to the impacts of human activities and climate change
