Wayanad landslides: 133 dead, 481 saved, at least 98 still missing

Wayanad: Major landslides hit Mundakkai and Chooralmala in Wayanad in the early hours of Tuesday killing at least 133 people. In terms of fatalities, this is the largest landslide-related disaster to strike Kerala. So far around 400 families are stranded and over 191 are hospitalised.

Even as a massive rescue mission went late into the evening, at least 98 people are still missing. Those yet to be found include labourers of tea and coffee plantations and their families. Migrant workers from West Bengal and Assam, who were asleep in their cottages when the tragedy struck have also been listed as missing.

At least 481 people have been rescued, while more than 3,000 have been shifted to relief camps. The full extent of the damage remains unknown due to connectivity issues.

The first landslide happened at Mundakkai around 1 am. The region had received 572 mm rainfall over 48 hours. While the rescue operations were ongoing, a second landslide struck near Chooralmala School around 4 am. The school that was functioning as a camp, and the houses and shops situated nearby, were flooded.

Rescue teams worked tirelessly to evacuate those stranded, with the Indian Army and Air Force joining the efforts. Besides the National Disaster Response Force, the state government also deployed disaster response teams from the Police and Fire & Rescue Departments to the affected areas. Frantic phone calls made by people trapped under destroyed houses and piles of debris highlighted the intensity of the deadly landslide.

The gravity of the tragedy was revealed kilometres away in neighbouring Malappuram district, where at least 31 mutilated bodies were found floating in the Chaliyar River. The bodies belonged to 19 men, 10 women and two children.

The state government appointed Seeram Sambasivarao, Principal Director of the Local Self-Government Department, as Special Officer for Wayanad to coordinate disaster management and relief activities in the district. He will support District Collector Dr Meghashree and the district administration in dealing with the situation. Having served as the Sub-Collector of Wayanad and District Collector of Kozhikode, Seeram Sambasiva Rao is familiar with the topology of the region.

Of the dead, 39 bodies were identified and 18 were handed over to families. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, in a press conference, said that 31 bodies were recovered from the Chaliyar River. Besides that, body parts were also recovered by those carrying out search and rescue operations, he said.

He said that the initial landslide happened around 2 am and the next one hit around 4.30 am, leaving hundreds trapped beneath the debris and many more being swept away. The landslides occurred when the villagers were sleeping, catching them off-guard and resulting in a high number of casualties, he said.

Many could be trapped inside or swept away, and we will continue rescue efforts, he said. He further said 45 camps have been set up in the district and around 3,069 people have been rehabilitated there. The CM also appealed for contributions to the Chief Minister's Distress Relief Fund (CMDRF) to support those affected by the landslide and to help rebuild the impacted area. Five ministers reached Wayanad to coordinate the rescue mission.

It was reported that around 400 families were stranded in the region following the collapse of the bridge at the Chooralmala. This bridge is the only access to Attamala in Mundakkai, and its collapse has severely hampered rescue operations. Many people have been injured, and several vehicles have been washed away. The full extent of the damage remains unknown due to the power supply being cut off.

Discussions were held between the rescue team and the ministers who reached Chooralmala in Wayanad regarding how to go about the mission. Minister K Rajan, PA Muhammed Riyas, OR Kelu and MLAs IC Balakrishnan and T Siddique were part of the discussion. All units, including the Army, NDRF and fire brigade, crossed the river using a rope/zipline.

The ecologically sensitive regions including Meppadi, Vythiri and Vaduvanchal received torrential rain in the past 24 hours. Going by the data of the weather stations of Hume Centre for Ecology and Wildlife Biology, which monitors the weather patterns in the region, more than 300 mm of rain was received at many places along the western Ghat region in the last 24 hours.

Rs 5 crore relief fund by TN 
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin on Tuesday spoke to Pinarayi Vijayan and assured him of the state's full support in rescue and relief efforts and announced the immediate dispatch of a team to assist the neighbour. He also directed the authorities to release Rs 5 crore towards relief activities in Wayanad.

Siddaramaiah extends support
Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Tuesday said that all necessary cooperation is being provided by the state government for rescue and relief operations in Wayanad. The CM has deputed two senior IAS officers to coordinate with Kerala state authorities in these operations.

The chief minister, currently on a tour in New Delhi, issued a press statement saying that the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) team in Bengaluru and teams of the Madras Engineer Group (MEG) of the Army have been sent to assist in the rescue and relief efforts in Wayanad. To facilitate swift movement of these teams and relief material transport vehicles to Wayanad, instructions have been issued to allow unrestricted passage through the Green Corridor at the Bandipur Check Post, he added.

Rahul, Priyanka put off visit due to adverse weather
New Delhi, Jul 30 (PTI) Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi and Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra put off their scheduled Wednesday morning visit to landslide-hit Wayanad after authorities informed them that they would not be able to land due to incessant rain and adverse weather conditions. The Congress leaders said they would visit the district as soon as possible.
In a post on X, Rahul Gandhi said, "Priyanka and I were scheduled to visit Wayanad tomorrow to meet with families affected by the landslide and take stock of the situation. However, due to incessant rains and adverse weather conditions, we have been informed by authorities that we will not be able to land."

Assuring the people of Wayanad that they would visit the district as soon as possible, Rahul Gandhi said, "In the meantime, we will continue to monitor the situation closely and provide all necessary assistance."
"Our thoughts are with the people of Wayanad at this difficult time," he said.
In a post on X, Priyanka Gandhi said, "My brothers and sisters in Wayanad, even though we cannot come to Wayanad tomorrow, our hearts are with you at this tragic hour and we are praying for all of you."

Control rooms opened
The state health department has opened control rooms in the wake of landslides in Wayanad. The numbers for emergency medical assistance are 8086010833 and 9656938689. Health Minister Veena George said that Vythiri, Mananthavadi, Kalpetta and Meppadi hospitals have been equipped for any kind of emergency. Health workers were deployed from Monday night and more health workers are being brought in , Health Minister said.