Wayanad landslides: None found in spot where thermal scanner detected breath signal; Army ends search

Wayanad: All eyes were on the search in Mundakkai top after the Indian Army's thermal scanner detected the presence of life under the debris during the search on Friday. The expert who carried out the search confirmed that no human, dead or alive, was found under the mud.
He said the scanner might have detected the presence of a frog or snake. Army sources hinted that they searched 3-ft deep from the building where the signal was detected. As the search didn't yield any results, the Army personnel called off the mission for the day. 

When the search was underway, local residents also asked the Army to suspend the mission as the building close to the spot was in a dilapidated condition.

The thermal scanner detected the presence of life under the debris during the search around 4.30 pm. Even after  the intensified search using earthmovers and volunteers, no human or animal was found there. Hence, the Army suspended the search by 5.30 pm.

But they resumed the search during the night as directed by the Chief Minister's Office. Floodlights were arranged on the spot for the search. Two earthmovers and an ambulance were taken to the spot.

"We use the thermal scanner for identifying the position of the terrorists who hide in a building. The machine can detect the respiration of the person. A similar signal of breathing was received from here. So far, no animal or human has been found on the spot. We will continue the search here. We recorded three breath signals on the radar. But we can't confirm a human is trapped there.  We will get accurate information only when we clear people from the spot and its premises," said an Army officer. 

A shop was located in the spot where the signal was received, Manorama News reported. It is suspected either a human or an animal could be trapped there. Concrete cutters and more equipment were also used for the search.

Zero human presence in Mundakkai, confirms drone search
Meanwhile, a private agency conducted a drone search in the Mundakkai region on Friday and confirmed that no humans are trapped there. In the thermal imaging examination, zero human presence was detected. A report of the thermal imaging examination has been handed over to the district authority.

At the same time, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has released a crucial report revealing the origin of the landslide in Mundakkai. According to the report, the landslide originated at an altitude of 1,550 meters. Approximately 86,000 square feet of land was devastated by the natural calamity, ISRO reported after releasing radar satellite images of the landslide-hit area.

Death toll touches 334
The death toll in the landslides at Chooralmala and Mundakkai touched 334 on Friday as the Army, NDRF and Navy personnel recovered more bodies. As per latest reports, 276 people are missing. The search operations, which were prematurely suspended on Thursday evening, resumed on Friday morning. 

Search operations
Several people remain missing and rescue operators are battling adverse conditions, including waterlogged soil, as they search through destroyed homes and buildings looking for survivors or bodies. As per reports 280 people are yet to be traced. Amid this, the district authority cremated 94 unidentified bodies. Rescue teams on Friday deployed advanced technical gadgets and dogs to pull out possible survivors or remove bodies buried under the debris.

The search operations are carried out by 40 teams in six zones in Wayanad on Friday.
Zone 1 -Punchirimattom region 
Zone 2 - Mundakkai  region 
Zone 3 - School area 
Zone 4 - Chooralmala town area 
Zone 5 - Village area 
Zone 6 - Downstream 

The 10  Army teams have been given the responsibilty of search in Zones 1, 2, 3, 5 and 6. General Officer Commanding of Karnataka and Kerala Sub Area Major General VT Mathew is in charge of Chooralmala.

The Bailey bridge, which was constructed by the Army, will remain in place until a permanent bridge is built, officials revealed. With the completion of the Bailey bridge between Chooralmala and Mundakkai, the required equipment for search operations can be transported to disaster-affected areas. In Mundakkai, 15 earthmoving machines have been deployed.

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan visited Wayanad to assess the situation, conducting a review meeting and an all-party discussion at the Collectorate. Additionally, Opposition Leader in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi and AICC General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi toured the disaster-affected areas.

Search efforts have been hindered by a combination of challenges, including treacherous terrain due to destroyed roads and bridges, and a shortage of heavy equipment, making it difficult for emergency personnel to clear mud and huge uprooted trees that fell on houses and other buildings.

1,300 personnel at work
Kerala Revenue Minister K Rajan, who is coordinating the search efforts, said 1,300 personnel from various agencies and the armed forces carried out joint search-and-rescue operations in the area, braving the rains, winds and difficult terrain and without the help of heavy machinery. He also said that 9,328 people have been relocated to 91 relief camps in the district. Of these, 2,328 people from 578 displaced families have been moved to nine relief camps, he said.

The Chief Minister's Office, in a statement, said that 143 bodies and several body parts found from Chaliyar river in Malappuram have been brought to Wayanad. So far, 58 bodies and 95 body parts have been recovered from the neighbouring Malappuram district, it said. The Wayanad district administration said that 279 autopsies, including of body parts, have been completed and as many as 107 bodies have been identified. It also said that till now 100 body parts have been found from under the debris.

Rajan said the authorities are yet to finalise the count of missing people. "Initially, we used the voter list to identify the missing persons. But since it does not contain the details of the children, we are now relying on ration cards and other details. We are trying to identify the missing people with the help of ASHA workers and anganwadi workers," he said.

Challenges
In the landslide-hit areas, rescuers had to deal with challenge of moving through waterlogged soil as they searched destroyed homes and buildings for survivors or bodies. With search operations underway in the calamity-ravaged Mundakkai, heavy machinery was required to remove the huge trees that got uprooted in the landslides and buried several houses.

"We are standing on the terrace of a building and a stench is emanating from underneath, indicating the presence of bodies. The building is fully covered with mud and uprooted trees," a rescuer said. He said that excavators were available for the operations, but they are insufficient for the task. "Heavy machinery is required to remove the huge trees and carry out search operations in the collapsed buildings. Only then can we make progress in the search operations," he added.