Wayanad Landslides LIVE: Rescue Teams Build Bridge To Access Mundkai As Death Toll Hit 158 Mark

The Kerala police dog squad has discovered five bodies at Mundakkai, including one child. Four additional bodies have been identified and will be recovered once more machinery and personnel are deployed to the area.

Military personnel on Wednesday intensified search and rescue operations in Kerala’s Wayanad district, where landslides have claimed more than 100 lives, with the Army saying that it has recovered around 70 bodies so far and rescued nearly 1,000 people.

Four columns from the Defence Security Corps (DSC) Centre, Kannur, and 122 TA Battalion are conducting combined rescue operations along with the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and state rescue teams, a senior Army official said.

Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan on Wednesday appealed to everyone across the country to come to the aid of the victims of the massive landslides in this high-range district of the state, saying it was a “colossal tragedy”.

“To deal with this kind of massive tragedy, we need help from every side. So, I hope people will display the same generosity, concern and sensitivity towards these victims in Wayanad.”

“Not just Kerala. I would like to make an appeal to people all over the country that it is our duty to come to the rescue and help of these unfortunate victims of the landslides,” Khan, who is in Wayanad, told reporters.

Search and rescue operations continue at landslide-affected Chooralmala in Wayanad. Nearly 1200 rescue workers from the Indian Army, DSC centre, Territorial Army, NDRF, Indian Navy and the IAF are deployed here.

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Wednesday appealed to the corporate world to contribute generously for the relief and rehabilitation of people hit by massive landslides in Wayanad district in neighbouring Kerala.

In a message to the corporates, Siddaramaiah exhorted them to help rebuild the affected areas through the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative.

“The scale of the disaster necessitates a coordinated and generous response from all sectors of society, particularly from corporate entities that have always been pillars of support in times of need,” the CM said in his letter.

The Indian Airforce’s C-17 carrying Indian Army personnel and parts and equipment for the construction of Bailey Bridge will arrive at Kannur International Airport around 11.30 AM from Delhi.

The operation will be coordinated by Captain Puran Singh Natha Vath of the Kannur Defense Security Forces (DSC). Bridge construction materials will be delivered to Wayanad in 17 trucks to boost the search and rescue operation in the landslide hit district of Kerala.

Chooralmala village in Wayanad was severely impacted after a series of landslides occurred on Tuesday. A massive rescue operation has been underway since Tuesday and teams are now nearing the most difficult-to-reach locations.

A Wayanad landslide survivor recounted her harrowing experience, saying, “I live alone, and during the night, I felt my bed shaking and heard loud noises. I tried calling my neighbours, but no one answered. I reached out to my son in Coimbatore on the phone, and he told me to climb on top of the house for safety. I couldn’t open the door because it was jammed, so I yelled for help. Eventually, rescuers arrived, broke the door with an axe, and pulled me out. When the second landslide hit, my house was swept away. My relatives in Mundakkai all perished; two bodies have been recovered, but six or seven are still missing. Now, I am left without a home or land and am unable to work. I don’t know how I’ll rebuild or what to do next.”

The national flag is flying at half-mast at the Kerala Legislative Assembly as the state observes a two-day mourning period following the tragic landslide in Wayanad, which claimed 146 lives.

The officials told CNN News18 that the rescue teams are currently relying on zip lines to carry out their operations amid the challenging conditions caused by incessant rains.

Their efforts are focused on constructing a bridge between Mundkai and Thurrelmala to improve accessibility.

However, the unstable ground across the Veliramala area remains a significant obstacle, complicating their rescue and relief efforts.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued an orange alert for Malappuram, Kozhikode, Wayanad, Kannur and Kasargode districts. The Met Department has predicted heavy to very heavy rainfall in these regions on Wednesday.

District authorities in Kerala’s landslide-struck Wayanad on Wednesday started collecting data to determine the number of people missing following the massive tragedy, as rescue operations resumed to trace persons suspected to be trapped.

A special team at the District Emergency Operation Centre is compiling data on the number of people residing in the area, those found after the landslide, and the number of persons missing, a district administration official told reporters early Wednesday.

Two persons from Odisha are missing in the landslides in Kerala’s Wayanad, the CMO said.

The Odisha government has contacted the Kerala government over the issue.

The chief minister’s office, in a X post, said, “The state government is in regular communication with the Kerala government in view of the massive landslide where many lives were affected in Wayanad. As per the information received from the Kerala State Disaster Management Authority, two rescued Odia people are under treatment while two others are still missing.”

The state government is in touch with the district administration concerned that has contacted the Odia families affected by the calamity, it added.

Kerala Health Minister Veena George was involved in a minor car accident while travelling to Wayanad. George didn’t sustain any serious injuries. She is currently receiving treatment at the Manjeri Medical College’s emergency department.

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Tuesday convened a high-level meeting to coordinate rescue operations in Wayanad and discuss further steps in the wake of the massive landslides.

At the meeting with top bureaucrats from various departments and senior police officers, Vijayan assessed the rescue operations as well as reviewed the coordination with central government agencies, the deployment of disaster response forces, and the health and safety precautions and facilities in the relief camps, a statement issued by his office said.

Various rescue agencies resumed their operations early in the morning to trace people suspected to be trapped in the tragedy, which has killed at least 146 people and left 186 injured.

Fears of mounting fatalities have been sparked by suspicions that several people may still be trapped under the debris.

In one of the worst natural disasters in Kerala, at least 146 persons were killed and 186 injured in massive landslides triggered by torrential rains in Wayanad on Tuesday. With hundreds trapped under the debris, sparking fears of mounting fatalities, rescue agencies were racing against time to pull out any survivors.