Kerala landslides: Death toll rises to 158; CM Vijayan holds review meeting, to visit Wayanad tomorrow

Thiruvananthapuram/Wayanad (Kerala), July 31: Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Wednesday morning held a meeting to review the rescue operations in the Wayanad district, which was hit by landslides on July 30.

The number of people who died in the landslides that struck the hilly areas of Meppadi in Wayanad district on Tuesday following incessant rainfall has gone up to 158, the Kerala Revenue Department said today.

The chief minister Vijayan held a meeting at the office of the Disaster Management Authority in Thiruvananthapuram to take stock of the rescue efforts.

As per a decision taken during the cabinet meeting, the Chief Minister will also reach Wayanad on August 1 morning to attend a state-level all-party meeting that has been convened for tomorrow.

Union minister George Kurian this morning visited the affected areas to take stock of the situation and met with survivors at relief camps.

Currently, a delegation of nine State ministers is in Wayanad assessing the relief camps.

"Today, in the review meeting chaired by CM, the National Disaster Management Authority pointed out that they may be in a position to requisition ground penetrating radar that can be mounted on drones" Kerala Chief Secretary V Venu told reporters.

A total of 1200 rescue workers from the Indian Army, DSC centre, Territorial Army, NDRF, Indian Navy and the IAF are deployed at the calamity-hit areas. Teams of Army, Air Force and Navy have joined personnel of NDRF, police force and firefighters in rescue efforts, Kerala Chief Secretary V Venu said.

"...Today, a large contingent of rescue workers are currently fanning across the Mundakkai and upper regions in order to search for survivors and bodies. It will be difficult to identify the bodies found downstream as they are mutilated," the Chief Secretary said.

Detailing the challenges faced by the rescue personnel, The Chief Secretary said, "The biggest challenge that the rescue teams have reported is that the hamlet of Mundakkai has been flattened because of huge boulders and trees that have come down as part of a landslide."

"The problem they are facing is to cut into the houses which have collapsed and for that, they need heavy equipment. At the moment, we are not able in a position transfer heavy equipment across the river. We are hoping that the Bailey Bridge being built by the Indian Army will be completed by tomorrow," he added.

"There is a possibility that bodies are buried under the mud. Yesterday, we managed to move all the injured found in Mundakkai. At this moment, we are happy with the assistance given by all government agencies," he further said.

Navy teams from EzhimalaNaval base arrived in Chooralmala this morning. An Army canine unit has also joined in the efforts to sniff out bodies buried under the debris of mud and slush. Indian Coast Guard (ICG) is actively engaged in the rescue and relief operations for those affected by the landslide and the ICG Disaster Relief Team Kochi and Beypore are on the ground, providing aid and support.

Hundreds of people are still missing in the aftermath of the landslides which affected Mundakkai and Chooralmala the most. Attamala and Noolpuzha villages were also affected.

Chief Minister Vijayan said that 45 camps have been set up in Wayanad district and over 3000 people have been rehabilitated there.

Kerala Leader of Oppositon VD Satheesan said, "The priority is to carry out the rescue operations. The military and the NDRF are doing very well...We expect more casualties...It will take time to build the houses again now. The local MLAs and Panchayats are providing all support.

"We have demanded from the government that all displaced persons should be provided house rent as they don't have a house now. We will raise all these issues in the all-party meeting tomorrow. We are with the government to overcome this situation... "Satheesan added.

Meanwhile, based on inputs from the Kerala Government, forest Officials and Villagers a team of the 122 Infantry Battalion (TA) Madras, led by Sub Gijil, Sub Jayesh and Nb Sub Anilkumar along with 12 Jawans, rescued 19 civilians stranded in ElaResort and VanaRani resort beyond Mundakai village, the Defence PRO for Kerala said.