The death toll in the massive landslides that occurred on July 30 in Chooralmala and Mundakkai of Wayanad stands at 308 as of Friday..reports Asian Lite News
Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Saturday said that the state government will construct 100 houses for victims of the landslide-hit Wayanad in Kerala.
In a post on X, Siddaramaiah said”In light of the tragic landslide in Wayanad, Karnataka stands in solidarity with Kerala. I have assured CM Shri @pinarayivijayan of our support and announced that Karnataka will construct 100 houses for the victims. Together, we will rebuild and restore hope.”
Meanwhile, the search and rescue operations in Kerala’s Wayanad entered the fifth consecutive day on Saturday as several people are still feared trapped in the debris.
The death toll in the massive landslides that occurred on July 30 in Chooralmala and Mundakkai of Wayanad stands at 308 as of Friday, Kerala Health Minister Veena George said.
As per the latest update, 215 bodies and 143 body parts were recovered including 98 males, 87 females and 30 children. The post-mortem procedures were completed on 212 bodies and 140 body parts and 148 bodies were identified by relatives so far.
As many as 78 naval personnel have been deployed to carry out rescue and relief operations at multiple locations in Chooralmala and Mundakkai areas of Kerala’s Wayanad following landslides, officials said on Saturday.
According to officials, one of the teams was deployed at the river base to maintain a continuous supply of material, food and provisions to the affected people, while the other teams were deployed to search for survivors, clear debris and recover bodies.
A medical post has been set up at Chooralmala to provide medical assistance to the injured.
A team of three officers and 30 sailors augmented the efforts of the Indian Army in assembling and constructing the crucial Bailey Bridge over the river connecting the regions of Chooralmala and Mundakkai, which were isolated by the landslides. The bridge serves as the backbone of logistics support, enabling the movement of heavy machinery and ambulances. (ANI)
Vijayan thanks Stalin for Rs 5 cr aid
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan expressed his gratitude to the Tamil Nadu government for contributing Rs 5 crore towards the relief efforts in landslide-hit Wayanad, which claimed more than 300 lives in the state.
Vijayan thanked Tamil Nadu Public Works Minister EV Velu for contributing the relief amount on behalf of CM MK Stalin.
“Heartfelt gratitude to @evvelu for the generous contribution of Rs 5 crore towards relief efforts in landslide-hit #Wayanad on behalf of @mkstalin and Tamil Nadu. Your support and solidarity are deeply appreciated and will greatly aid in the rehabilitation and rebuilding efforts,” the Kerala CM posted on X.
Earlier, Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan said on Saturday that so far, all the bodies have not been recovered and the focus is on rescue and relief.
“We are at a loss of words. This is an hour of crisis, an hour of tragedy. All our focus is on rescue and relief. So far, all the bodies have not been recovered. So rescue work is in operation. Wayanad presented a very brilliant example of the coordination between the central government and the state government. Army, Navy, Air Force, Coastal Guards, and NDRF reached at the spot in no time. They build a bridge so that ground zero can be accessed,” Governor Khan said.
“10,000 people are living in relief camps. After this emergency gets over, we will have to shift our focus to rehabilitation of these people,” he added.
The Kerala Governor also mentioned that the Prime Minister immediately gave instructions to all the agencies of the central government, particularly the defence forces, after getting information about the disaster.
In a display of coordination and bravery, the Indian Coast Guard (ICG), Indian Army, and Indian Air Force (IAF) on Saturday successfully rescued three personnel stranded at Soochipara Waterfalls, located in landslide-hit Wayanad district of Kerala.
During their morning combing operation along the river banks from Mundakai to Soochipara, the ICG search team sighted three individuals stranded near the waterfalls. The presence of the survivors was immediately reported to the control centre at Mepadi.
A coordinated land and air rescue operation was swiftly launched, involving ICG, Army, and IAF teams. The combined efforts of these forces, utilising both ground and aerial resources, resulted in the safe rescue of all three personnel.
The death toll from the massive landslides that occurred on July 30 in Chooralmala and Mundakkai of Wayanad stands at 308 as of Friday, Kerala Health Minister Veena George said.
As per the latest update, 215 bodies and 143 body parts were recovered, including 98 males, 87 females and 30 children. The post-mortem procedures were completed on 212 bodies and 140 body parts and 148 bodies have been identified by relatives so far. (ANI)
ALSO READ: India’s Cultural Diplomacy in Southeast Asia