The death toll in Tuesday's massive landslides in Kerala's Wayanad district has tragically crossed the 300 mark. As of Friday, 308 people have been confirmed dead due to the landslides triggered by heavy rainfall in the hilly areas of Wayanad. Rescuers are racing against time to search for survivors who remain trapped in collapsed buildings and under the debris.
The rescue operations, now in their fourth day, are set to expand and will include the use of a drone-based radar to locate survivors. Over 200 people have been injured, and the rescue efforts are facing multiple challenges, such as treacherous terrain, destroyed roads and bridges, and a shortage of equipment. These factors are making it difficult for emergency personnel to clear the mud and uprooted trees that have fallen on houses and other buildings.
A joint team comprising the Indian Army, NDRF, Coast Guard, and the Indian Navy will conduct searches in the affected areas. Each team will include three locals and one forest department employee. Forty teams of rescue personnel will divide the search areas into six zones to carry out the operations. These zones include Attamala and Aaranmala (first zone), Mundakkai (second zone), Punjirimattam (third zone), Vellarmala Village Road (fourth zone), GVHSS Vellarmala (fifth zone), and downstream of the river Chaliyar (sixth zone).
Police personnel from eight surrounding police stations and local swimming experts will also participate in the searches. Additionally, a parallel search will be conducted using a helicopter. Twenty-five ambulances will cross the Bailey Bridge, constructed by the Indian Army in record time to Mundakkai after the original structure collapsed due to the landslides. 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 conduct a search along the banks of the river Chaliyar and other areas where bodies are likely to have washed up.
Four more dogs from Tamil Nadu will join the six already involved in the rescue operations. Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, who arrived in Wayanad to oversee the rescue efforts, will meet with party leaders for relief work and a delegation of Meppadi gram panchayat. They will also attend a briefing by the district administration. The Gandhi siblings met with landslide victims on Thursday and will visit the heavily damaged areas of the forest office in Mundakkai and Chooralmala today.
US President Joe Biden has extended his condolences to the families of those who died in the landslides in Wayanad and praised the rescuers for their commitment and bravery despite the challenges. While over 200 people have been injured, the Army and other officials have rescued around 1,000 individuals. The death toll is expected to rise further as rescue operations continue.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted more rain for Wayanad and several other districts over the next couple of days. A red alert for heavy rain has been issued for Idukki, Thrissur, Palakkad, Malappuram, Kozhikode, Kannur, and Kasargod districts.
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