The Kerala government on Thursday announced that all survivors from the landslide-affected villages have been rescued. The death toll from Tuesday’s disaster is expected to exceed 300.
By Thursday afternoon, the recovery of additional bodies brought the official death count to 177. Around 170 people remain missing, according to official data. Among the 177 confirmed deceased, 81 are men, 70 are women, and the rest are children. So far, 98 bodies have been identified.
During a review meeting held in Kalpetta, Wayanad, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said, “all those who are alive have been saved in the last three days.”
The CM said, “It is assumed that nobody is left to be saved in the villages of Mundakkai, Chooralmala, and Attamala. Rescue workers are looking into whether anyone got stranded individually. What is left is to retrieve bodies from the area.”
Rescue teams have also retrieved 92 body parts, primarily from the Chaliyar river in Malappuram’s Nilambur area. Officials reported that 252 post-mortems have been conducted, including examinations of the body parts.
CM Vijayan reported that 29 students are missing from two local schools: the government lower primary school in Mundakkai and the government higher secondary school in Chooralmala.
Citing revenue officials, Vijayan mentioned that 348 buildings were damaged due to the landslide.
A protocol has been established for the cremation or burial of unidentified bodies, and with additional freezers needed for storage, the Karnataka government has offered to provide the necessary equipment.
Vijayan also visited Chooralmala, where the Army is constructing a Bailey bridge to access Mundakkai village, where many bodies remain to be recovered.
Wayanad landslides
Heavy rains triggered landslides in Wayanad on Tuesday, resulting in the deaths of over 200 people and injuring several hundred others. The Indian Army, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), and local emergency teams have initiated a joint search and rescue operation to locate those believed to be trapped under the debris.
On Thursday, Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, and KC Venugopal visited Kerala to evaluate the current rescue efforts.
First Published: Aug 02 2024 | 10:00 AM IST
