Wayanad landslides: Death toll likely to go up; search ops to resume Thursday

Wayanad: The search and rescue mission in landslide-hit Mundakkai and Chooralmala will resume on Thursday morning. Sources hinted that the death toll is likely to go up as more bodies were recovered in the search on Wednesday. Manorama News reported that 270 bodies were recovered from the two spots till Wednesday. Army has been constructing a bailey bridge to speed  up the rescue mission at Mundakai. Over 200 people are still missing, said officials. 
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As per the district administration, the legal procedures of only 167 deaths were completed. Among the deceased, 77 men, 67 women and 22 children were identified. The post-mortem of 166 bodies and 61 body parts were performed and 75 were handed over to relatives. Many were feared trapped under the debris. Several injured were taken to WIMS Hospital in Meppadi. 

Currently, 191 people are undergoing treatment in various hospitals. As part of the Wayanad disaster, 45 relief camps have been opened. 3,069 people are staying in relief camps. More than 50 houses were destroyed in the landslide that completely swept away the little town of Mundakkai.

Rescue teams comprising the Army, Navy and NDRF are collectively looking for survivors by unearthing the debris and breaking into the remains of houses destroyed or covered up with mud in the landslides. Heavy engineering equipment and rescue dog teams were airlifted, and disaster relief teams from the Indian Coast Guard reached Wayanad to assist with the rescue operations. 300 military personnel of the  Indian Armed Forces were moved forthwith to commence rescue operations. 

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh spoke to Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi to take stock of the rescue and relief work undertaken by Army units. Meanwhile, the ministry in a statement said the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) district HQ (Kerala & Mahe) and ICG station in Beypore dispatched disaster relief teams (DRT) to the affected areas.

The teams are equipped with essential disaster relief materials such as rubber inflatable boats for rescue operations, diesel-driven pumps to manage water and drainage issues, life jackets for safety, raincoats and gum boots for personnel protection in adverse weather and other earth-clearing implements for clearing debris and accessing affected areas, the statement said.

The ICG also dispatched food materials, drinking water and other essential supplies to support the affected population. The distribution of these supplies is being coordinated with the district disaster management team to ensure efficient aid delivery.

An Army official said an initial request for assistance was received at 4.30 am. The official requisition followed at 10.30 am. Early deployments included two Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) columns from the Defence Security Corps (DSC) Centre, Kannur, and two HADR teams from the 122 TA Battalion, Kozhikode.

A Bailey bridge is under construction by the Army connecting Mundakkai and Chooralmala. Currently, up to 330 feet of the bridge is being moved from the Madras Engineer Group Centre, Bangalore, by road.

Two additional columns from the 91 Infantry Brigade in Thiruvananthapuram are on standby and will be airlifted by the Indian Air Force (IAF), it added. Army officials said a control centre was being established in Kozhikode under Brigadier Arjun Segan, commandant of the Para Regimental Training Centre. This centre will coordinate all HADR efforts on the ground. Teams from the 122 TA Battalion are assisting the National Disaster Response Force in rescue operations and damage assessment.