Mannat Saini, Pune
Kerala’s Wayanad district has been struck by landslides and at least 158 people have died as rescue efforts continue while several others are feared to be trapped.
216 people have been taken to local hospitals for medical attention and roughly 3069 people have been rescued and rehabilitated to 45 temporary rescue facilities.
‘Body parts’ are being retrieved from the Chaliyar River; making the process complicated due to the difficulty in identifying whether the body parts belong to one individual victim or multiple victims.
Several landslides have displaced the villages of Mundakkai and Chooralmala as the Chaliyar River in Malappuram’s Nilambur region is believed to have washed away residents as well as roads. Health Minister Veena George claims that currently, the affected areas are Mundakkai, Chooralmala, Attamala, and Noolpuzha.
The state government has enlisted the help of the Indian Army for rescue operations that have been hampered by the collapse of a salient bridge, trapping several people under the mud and debris. The bridge connected Chooralmala to Mundakkai and Attamala, thus isolating Mundakkai and Attamala from the rescue efforts after the collapse.
Fire and Rescue, Civil Defence, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), and Local Emergency Response Teams have deployed roughly 250 members alongside an additional unit of NDRF. Meanwhile, The Indian Army has sent 200 personnel to facilitate the rescue process. An Indian Navy team from the Ezhimala Naval Base in Kannur is also being called in to aid the rescue efforts.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has expressed his condolences over the tragedy and has vowed an ex-gratia of Rs. 2 lakh from the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund (PMNRF) for the families of the deceased in Wayanad. Parallelly, Rs. 50,000 will be given to those who are injured.
PM Modi also assured Kerala’s Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan of cooperation on behalf of the Centre, taking into account the on-ground situation.
Parallelly, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin has deployed three teams of fire and rescue personnel, doctors and support staff, and the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) to Wayanad alongside two IAS officers. He has also vowed to contribute Rs 5 crore for the relief efforts.
Meanwhile, Kerala Chief Secretary V Venu has claimed that the situation remains grave since the rescue teams have been unable to establish secure access to the accident area. Kerala Minister MB Rajesh told PTI that the “gravity of the disaster is much more than numbers.”