Wayanad landslide: Death toll reaches 402, 170 people still missing, search continues

Wayanad: Rescue operations in four villages affected by landslides in Wayanad, Kerala continued for the eighth day on Tuesday. The death toll here has reached 402 and about 170 people are still missing.

The NDRF, SDRF, police, fire services and volunteers began searching in the four most affected areas of Choorlamalla, Vellarimala, Mundakayil and Punchirimdom on Tuesday morning. Special teams are searching in the Chaliyar river, from where several bodies and mutilated body parts have been recovered in the last few days. DNA tests of all the bodies are being done.

Earlier, six bodies were recovered on the seventh day of the search operation. According to the information, more than 1,100 personnel are engaged in the search operation in the six disaster-affected areas of Wayanad. About 84 Hitachis and five JCBs are being used in the search operation. Apart from this, 913 volunteers and local residents included in 112 teams are also engaged in the operation 24 hours a day.

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A team of 110 people recovered two bodies from the affected area using nine Hitachis. Apart from this, a 101-member team of the Forest Department and Fire Force recovered three bodies during the search operation in the forest. Meanwhile, 30 unidentified bodies and 154 bodies were cremated at the Harrisons Malayalam Limited Plantation crematorium. The people cremated include 14 women and 13 men.

The Revenue Minister of Kerala said on Tuesday that the Local Self Government (LSG) Department has now been asked to provide a list of buildings belonging to the government, besides identifying currently closed houses and also provide information about the number of resorts in the area. The rescue operation has entered the eighth day and will continue till the Army takes a final decision. Meanwhile, the Chief Minister’s Disaster Relief Fund has received an outpouring of help and it has been decided that all state government employees will contribute their five days’ salary to it.