Wayanad: The district authority has alerted the people living in living in the landslide-prone zones to immediately shift to relief camps a day after witnessing Kerala's biggest natural calamity on Monday night. Wayanad's Mundakai and Chooralmala regions were completely destroyed and hundreds of people lost their lives in a massive landslide on Monday night and in the wee hours of Tuesday. The district administration has come under fire for failing to issue early warning about landslides to the people of Mundakai and Chooralmala.

On Wednesday, District Collector D R Meghasree urged the people living in landslide-prone zones of the district including Kurumbalakotta, Lakkidy, Manikkunnumala, Muttil, Kolpara Colony, Kappikkalam, Sugandhagiri and Pozhuthana to exercise caution. All the residents in these spots are advised to shift to relief camps in view of the alarming situation, she said. 

"Those who stay back at home due to various personal reasons should be extremely careful", she added. 
The District Collector also directed the village officers and secretaries of local administrative bodies to take immediate measures at the right time. 

Over 200 people were killed in the massive landslides in Wayanad. As per the official data, legal procedures of only 167 deaths were completed. Among the 96 deceased, 77 men, 67 women and 22 children were identified.  The post-mortem of 166 dead bodies and 61 body parts were performed and 75 were handed over to relatives.

Rain disrupts rescue efforts in Chooralmala
With rains gathering momentum in the hills and the water level of the stream rising alarmingly, the rescue operation which started on Wednesday morning at Chooralmala has come to a standstill by evening.

The temporary walking bridge constructed by the army across the stream has been submerged after water gushed into the area. If there is no respite from the rain, it would be tough for the hundreds of volunteers to continue the mission and also return back to safety from Mundakkai area. 

Rescue workers and media personnel had to rush for safety by Wednesday evening through the temporary walking bridge to escape from the turbulent waters. 

Meanwhile, the construction of the Bailey Bridge is expected to be completed by Thursday. The absence of the bridge has been creating many hurdles in the rescue mission as the volunteers are struggling to get food and water, tools, and machinery including earthmovers for the mission to the disaster land at Mundakkai.

The district authority also confirmed that the bridge would be ready only by Thursday evening. In a press release issued on Wednesday, the district administration said that the 190-foot-long bridge would have 24-tonne weight. A special Air Force Flight from Bengaluru carrying components for the bridge construction landed at Kannur airport on Wednesday.  Later, 15 trucks took it to Chooralmala.