Wayanad Landslide Highlights: Rescue ops in Chooralmala enter Day 4; death toll goes past 300

Rescue teams on Friday deployed advanced technical gadgets and dogs to pull out possible survivors or remove bodies buried under the debris created by one of the worst natural calamities to have struck Kerala, the Wayanad landslides, even as hands of friendship extended from far corners of the state to the hilly district.

Among them was a Kollam woman who has parted with her meagre savings to benefit the affected persons here. A teaseller, Subaida may not have matched the businesspersons and celebrities who donated lakhs of rupees towards relief and rehabilitation efforts, but her contribution of Rs 10,000 and the family pensions was a gesture worth the mention.

On Friday, rescuers used GPS coordinates from aerial drone pictures and cell phones, including the last location of people who lived in the landslides-hit areas of Wayanad to help locate survivors, amidst accelerated search operations after the completion of the 190-foot-long Bailey bridge by the Army.

Raising hopes for life inside a collapsed building, which is thickly covered by mud, rescuers conducting search operations with an advanced radar system in the landslide-hit Mundakkai village have detected a signal indicating breathing. (PTI)

Family and friends wait anxiously for news of Dr Swadheen Panda, a 33-year-old gynaecologist from Bhubaneswar who went missing after a landslide hit the village in Wayanad where they were staying as tourists.

According to Akanksha Mohanty, a friend of Dr Panda, he was accompanied by three others, including a couple, when the landslide struck their resort in a village in the hill district.

While Priyadarshini, one of the survivors, is out of danger, her husband Bishnuprasad's body has been recovered and sent back to Odisha.

Sweekruti Mahapatra, another person who was travelling with Dr Panda, is in critical condition and on a ventilator in a Wayanad hospital.

However, there has been no information about Dr Panda's whereabouts since the landslide.

A senior Kerala government official has assured that an intense search operation is underway to locate Dr Panda, a resident doctor with Odisha Medical Services. (PTI)

Several countries, including the US, China, Germany and the Netherlands on Friday offered condolences over the loss of lives in Wayanad landslides, even as Kerala struggled to come to terms with the tragedy.

Over 200 people have died and 264 injured in the massive landslides that hit Wayanad district of the southern state three days ago, the district administration said.

As Kerala, known world over as a tourism heaven with a tagline of 'God's Own Country' struggled to come to terms with the aftermaths of the disaster, condolences poured in from many foreign countries.

Foreign ministries or foreign ministers of various countries took to X to express solidarity with India over the Wayanad tragedy.

India has acknowledged the message of solidarity shared by these countries.

"Saddened to learn of the massive landslides in the #wayanad district, #kerala which caused loss of lives, injuries & extensive damages. My deepest condolences & sincere sympathies to the bereaved families. @DrSJaishankar," Ararat Mirzoyan, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Armenia, posted on X.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar in response to Mirzoyan's post wrote on X, "Thank you FM @AraratMirzoyan." The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the UAE also posted on X in solidarity. (PTI)

A photo of a woman Indian Army officer standing on the railings of the newly-constructed Bailey Bridge in landslide-ravaged Chooralmala village in Wayanad with an absolute sense of satisfaction, pride and purpose, has gone viral on social media, amidst the countless images of the tragic wreckage left by the calamity.

Social media is flooded with congratulatory messages saluting the Indian Army and the officer for her bravery and commitment.

The photo was of Major Seeta Ashok Shelke, the sole female officer in the Indian Army unit that completed constructing the Bailey Bridge to expedite the rescue of villagers stranded in remote areas.

The Madras Engineer Group (MEG) and Centre overcame the loads of debris, uprooted trees and a rapidly flowing river to complete the construction of the bridge in just 31 hours, and Shelke was there leading the group of soldiers as they worked tirelessly.

"I don't consider myself as the only woman here; I am a soldier. I am here as a representative of the Indian Army and take immense pride in being a part of this launching team," a tireless looking Shelke told PTI, while hurrying to rush to another spot where her colleagues are engaged in rescue work.

The efforts of Shelke and her MEG colleagues have now given a major boost to the rescue efforts in the landslide-ravaged areas of Wayanad. (PTI)

Kerala General Education Minister, V Sivankutty, on Friday said at least 49 children have either been missing or dead in the devastating landslides that hit Wayanad district three days ago.

Speaking to the media here, Sivankutty said the Government Higher Secondary School at Vellarimala has been completely destroyed by the natural disaster, while four other schools in the vicinity have also suffered major or minor damage.

"As per the reports, 49 children are either dead or missing. The Vellarimala GHSS has been completely destroyed. The GLPS Mundakkai has been partially damaged. Three other schools have also suffered minor damage," he said.

The minister added that many of the surviving children have lost their textbooks and certificates, among others, and the government will consider all these matters and help them after a discussion with the chief minister.

"The Vellarimala GHSS has to be rebuilt. The other four schools, including that at Mundakkai, require some maintenance work," he added. (PTI)

Visuals from aerial reconnaissance conducted by Indian Navy of the affected area in Wayanad

Rescuers conducting search operations with an advanced radar system in a landslide-hit village in Wayanad have detected a signal indicating breathing, possibly by a human or animal.

An official involved in the operation said that a "blue signal" was received on the radar while searching an area where a house was previously located in the severely affected Mundakkai village.

"There is a consistent signal of breathing," the officer told reporters.

The remains of the building are buried around two-to-three metres below the muddy soil, and it is unclear whether the breathing signal is from a human or animal, he added.

According to local residents, the signal was detected in the area where the kitchen and store room of the house were located.

Based on the signal, rescuers have started digging into the spot. (PTI)

BJP leader and former union minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar alleged on Friday that the landslides in Wayanad and the resultant loss of lives was caused by the negligence of successive state governments in Kerala since 2009.

Speaking to reporters in the national capital, Chandrasekhar said what happened in Wayanad as "not a tragedy, but a crime".

He said that questions must be asked about the reasons for the negligence and the alleged commercial interests behind it, as the cost "was borne by the people of Wayanad".

"There has been negligence and we should not forget who should be held accountable for it," he added.

The BJP leader also took a dig at Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, saying the Congress leader raised the issue of ED raids to "escape" from questions on why the landslides happened and who should be held accountable for it.

"This has been the strategy adopted by the Congress to avoid tough questions," he claimed.

Chandrasekhar said that the Narendra Modi government at the Centre has given all possible help to the state and shall continue to do so. (PTI)

The number of people who have died in the massive landslides that hit Wayanad district three days ago has gone up to 210, Kerala Tourism Minister P A Mohamed Riyas said on Friday.

According to the figures released by Riyas at a press conference here, 210 bodies, including that of 83 women and 29 children, have been recovered.

Of them, 119 bodies have been handed over to relatives of the deceased persons, the minister said.

Meanwhile in a bright spot amid the gloom, on Friday -- three days after the massive landslides, when hope of finding survivors is dwindling -- rescuers were able to reach a family of four isolated in an area near Padavetti Kunnu here and moved them to a relief camp, he said.

Around 1,374 rescue personnel are continuing search operations in the landslide-hit areas, the minister said.

Additionally, ground penetrating radars and drones are also being used as part of the search-and-rescue operations, he said. (PTI)

The Centre has issued a fifth draft notification to declare over 56,800 square kilometres of the Western Ghats across six states, including 13 villages in Kerala's landslide-hit Wayanad, Ecologically Sensitive Area (ESA), inviting suggestions and objections within 60 days.

The notification was issued on July 31, a day after a series of landslides claimed over 290 lives in Wayanad district.

The draft notification proposes to declare 9,993.7 sq km in Kerala, including 13 villages in two talukas of the landslide-hit district, ecologically sensitive.

Overall, the notification includes 449 sq km in Gujarat, 17,340 sq km in Maharashtra, 1,461 sq km in Goa, 20,668 sq km in Karnataka, 6,914 sq km in Tamil Nadu, and 9,993.7 sq km in Kerala in the proposed ESA.

The draft notification suggests a complete ban on mining, quarrying, and sand mining, with existing mines to be phased out within five years "from the date of issue of the final notification or on the expiry of the existing mining lease, whichever is earlier".

It also prohibits new thermal power projects. It says the existing projects can continue to operate but there will be no expansion allowed. (PTI)

Three days after the Mundakkai region in Wayanad district witnessed a devastating landslide, rescue workers on Friday found a family of four isolated in an area near Padavetti Kunnu, Defence sources said.

A massive search and rescue operation is ongoing in the Mundakkai region, which was hit by a massive landslide on Tuesday.

The rescuers on Friday found that the family, comprising two males and two females, was isolated after the landslide cut off their house from the rest of the region.

A Defence PRO said Vellarimala residents, John K J, Jomol John, Christene John and Abraham John were rescued and "evacuated through a safe route to a nearby relief camp." Earlier, there were plans to airlift the family but later a safe route was identified, sources said.

"The family was stuck in the house since Tuesday. They were safe and healthy, but scared after the incident," Defence sources said.

The family agreed to shift to the relief camp after the rescuers including the Army and the NDRF team assured a safe route from their residence to the camp. (PTI)

Visuals from lunch being served at relief camp at Meppadi Higher Secondary School in Wayanad. Rescue efforts in the landslide-affected Chooralmala in Wayanad have entered their fourth day. The death toll has reached over 300, Kerala Health Minister Veena George said, according to ANI. Despite heavy rains and challenging terrain, 40 rescue teams are continuing their search operations.

Express Photo by Narayanan S

The unidentified bodies of those who died in the landslides in Kerala's Wayanad will be buried in public graveyards in the hill district, the authorities here said on Friday.

The facilities for the burial have been arranged in graveyards at various locations including Kalpetta municipality, Vythiri, Muttil, Kaniyambatta, Padinjathara, Thondarnad, Edavaka and Mullankolly Grama Panchayats, an official statement said.

The statement said that 74 unidentified bodies are currently being kept in various locations within the Meppadi Grama Panchayat and will be handed over to the concerned local self-government secretaries. The bodies will be buried after the necessary procedures are completed.

Registration Department Inspector General Sreedhanya Suresh has been appointed as the nodal officer responsible for overseeing the registration, storage and burial of the bodies. (PTI)

A Mental Health Disaster Management team has been formed in Kerala to provide psychosocial support to survivors of the devastating landslide at Wayanad, where over 200 people lost their lives and almost as many are still missing, state Health Minister Veena George said on Friday.

George said a 121-member team of psychiatrists, clinical psychologists, psychiatric social workers and counsellors was formed on Tuesday, soon after the disaster struck the hilly district of Kerala.

She said only the special team members with ID cards issued by the health department will be allowed to provide mental health support to the survivors in relief camps and to those admitted in various hospitals.

The team has set up help desks at all the hospitals and relief camps.

"The mental health workers will listen to the concerns of the survivors and offer them comfort. Children, pregnant women and elderly people will be given priority," the minister said in a release.

The health department said the depression and anxiety caused due to the disaster may require long-term attention.

The team will also identify those who have mental health issues and ensure that their treatment is not interrupted. (PTI)

Leader of Opposition in Parliament(LoP) and Congress Leader Rahul Gandhi today said that he will raise the Wayanad landslide in Delhi added that Kerala has not seen this type of tragedy in one area.

Rahul Gandhi and Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra reached Wayanad yesterday after massive landslides hit the district three days ago taking over 300 lives. " Congress promises to build more than 100 houses in Wayanad," said Rahul Gandhi today.

Former Wayanad MP and Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra receive a briefing from the District Administration in the Forest Office on the recent landslides & rescue operations.

Kerala Health Minister Veena George said on Friday, "ICUs are ready in Wayanad hospitals to provide intensive care to those rescued from the disaster areas". Hospitals including Manjeri Medical College and Kozhikode Medical College, which can be reached by airlift, have also been set up. Minister also added, so far, the post-mortem procedures of 199 dead bodies have been completed. Apart from this, DNA samples of 130 body parts were also taken. (ANI)

Brigadier Arjun Segan, Commandant of the Para Regimental Training Centre says, " Today is the 4th day of this rescue operation...last evening by around 6 pm, we completed the bridge and were able to move vehicular movement upslope. This area where we are standing right now is Punchirimatta which is the source of the landslide, beyond this, for another 500m there is a habitation and then it is a forest area...this area was difficult to access...we have got additional strength in terms of more sniffer dogs and now even the locals here are incorporated into search parties as they have more knowledge..."

The Wayanad District Collector, Meghashree D R, announced that GPS coordinates from drone images and cell phone data, including the last known locations of residents, are being used to guide search and rescue operations in landslide-hit areas.

The worst-affected hamlets, Mundakkai and Chooralmala, have been divided into six zones where 40 rescue teams, cadaver dogs, and heavy machinery are deployed.

The mapped data helps streamline the operations. The six zones are Attamala and Aaranmala, Mundakkai, Punchirimattam, Vellarimala village, GVHSS Vellarimala, and the riverbank.

As of Thursday night, 190 people have died, over 200 are missing, and approximately 300 are still unaccounted for. Rescuers face challenges such as waterlogged soil while searching through debris.

Indian Army on Friday stated that they found 4 alive individuals - two males and two females - who were stranded in Padavetti Kunnu, Wayanad, ANI reported. The operation was carried out with precision and care, ensuring the safety of all individuals involved. A casualty evacuation was coordinated and an Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH) was launched to facilitate the rescue. The swift response and seamless execution of the operation ensured the timely evacuation of the stranded individuals. One of the rescued females is experiencing difficulties with her leg and is receiving necessary medical attention.

40 teams will be conducting search operations in six zones of the landslide-hit areas today:

Addressing the media on Friday, ADGP M. R. Ajith Kumar stated that over 300 people remain missing following the landslides that hit the region. The final number of missing persons can only be determined after the Revenue Department collects all the necessary details. The massive search and rescue operations have entered their fourth day.

ADGP Kumar, who oversees Law and Order in the state, mentioned that the landslide-affected areas have been divided into six zones. Separate search teams, including those with cadaver dogs, have been deployed to initiate search operations.

Kumar added that the Kerala police, in collaboration with specialized agencies, are conducting combing operations in the Chaliyar river extending to Kozhikode city. "We are also undertaking river combing. Yesterday, we found bodies in Pothukal. Consequently, we have directed all police stations with jurisdiction along the banks of the Chaliyar River up to Kozhikode city to search their respective areas," Kumar said.

The Indian Army launched the Class 24 Bailey Bridge in Kerala's Wayanad district earlier today. The bridge will connect Chooralmala with Mundakkai over the Iruvanipzha River and can take a load of 24 tons.

Search and rescue operations continue at landslide-affected Chooralmala in Wayanad. According to ANI reports, the current death toll stands at 308, as per Kerala Health Minister Veena George.

With the Kerala government Thursday confirming that “all those who are alive” at the landslide-hit villages have been rescued, the death toll from Tuesday’s tragedy is likely to cross 300.

With the recovery of a few more bodies till Thursday noon, the official toll has reached 177. Besides, around 170 persons are missing, as per official data. Of the 177 confirmed deaths, 81 are men, 70 women and the rest children. So far, only 98 bodies have been identified.

Apart from the confirmed deaths, rescue workers have fished out 92 body parts, mainly from the Chaliyar river in Malappuram’s Nilambur region. As many as 252 post-mortems, including of the body parts, have been conducted, officials said. Read more

189 bodies have been recovered while more than 1,500 have been rescued following a series of devastating landslides in the hilly areas near Meppadi in Kerala’s Wayanad district. Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has confirmed that 240 people remain missing.

Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi along with sister Priyanka visited landslides-hit areas of Wayanad on Thursday and said he was "deeply pained" to see people who have lost family members and homes in the tragedy, calling it a "national disaster" and demanded an urgent comprehensive action plan.

"I remember what I felt when my father died. Here, people have not just lost their fathers, they have lost their entire families. I know what I have felt and it is much worse than that. It is not one person who is feeling it. It is thousands of people who are feeling it. So, it is very very sad.

"I think we all owe these people respect and affection, and we should all be standing with them. I am very proud that a lot of people are standing with the people of Wayanad. The whole nation's attention is towards Wayanad and I am sure that the people of the nation are going to help Wayanad," he said.

When asked about Union Home Minister Amit Shah's recent remarks blaming the state government with regard to the loss of life in the landslides, Gandhi said it was not the time or place to discuss politics.

"People here require help. The time right now is to make sure that they get all the assistance they need. There are people here who are in shock. They need medical assistance. I think those are the things we should be discussing. I am not interested in talking about politics now. (PTI)

Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi along with sister Priyanka visited landslides-hit areas of Wayanad on Thursday and said he was "deeply pained" to see people who have lost family members and homes in the tragedy, calling it a "national disaster" and demanded an urgent comprehensive action plan.

Gandhi, a former Congress MP from Wayanad, said it was a "terrible tragedy for Wayanad, Kerala, and the nation." "We have come here to see the situation. It is quite a painful experience to see that people lost their family members and houses. It's very difficult to speak to people in these circumstances because you really don't know what to say to them. It's been quite a difficult day for me, but we are going to try and help make sure that the survivors get what is due," he told reporters.

"To me, this is a national disaster for sure, but let's see what the government says," he said in response to reporters' queries.

Both Gandhi and his sister, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, first visited the landslide-hit Chooralmala area of Wayanad.

Vadra spoke along similar lines as Gandhi, saying the pain people in the area were experiencing was unimaginable.

"We are here to help them and to give as much support and comfort as we can." she said. (PTI)

Ten of Kerala's total 14 districts, including Wayanad, are among the country's 30 most landslide prone districts, the Landslide Atlas of India released by the Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro), had stated in 2023.

The atlas placed Wayanad in the 13th position for being vulnerable to landslides. The number of people affected and succumbing to heavy rainfall, flooding, landslides, and related incidents have been increasing during recent years.

On Tuesday, multiple massive landslides had hit Meppadi and Chooramala areas at Wayanad in Kerala, killing over a hundred while several are still reportedly missing.

Kerala has been experiencing mammoth losses to property and significant casualties every monsoon season since the devastating floods of August 2018. The Isro's Atlas underscored occurrence of landslide events in Kerala, especially post 2018. Read more

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Thursday said the rescue mission in the landslide-hit Mundakkai region of Wayanad could take a few more days, and appointed a cabinet sub-committee of four ministers to coordinate the rescue efforts.

The four ministers will be camping in Wayanad where the landslides triggered by torrential rains have left at least 173 people dead.

Vijayan, who met the media after an all-party meeting, praised the "commendable" efforts of the rescue workers, especially the Indian Army.

He said the scale of the rescue work is such that it cannot be completed in a short period of time.

"As of now, 12 ministers are camping in Wayanad. Now the all-party meeting has decided that four ministers will camp here to coordinate the rescue operations," Vijayan said.

Vijayan said Revenue Minister K Rajan, Forest Minister A K Saseendran, PWD and Tourism Minister P A Mohamed Riyas, and SC/ST Department Minister O R Kelu will camp in the district. (PTI)