Rescue operations are ongoing in Kerala's Wayanad on Wednesday after heavy monsoon rains triggered deadly landslides that swept through homes and stranded hundreds of people, officials said.The death toll has surpassed 150, many of whom drowned, authorities said, adding that the number of casualties was expected to rise after at least two landslides hit the state’s northeastern Wayanad district in the early hours of Tuesday. Rescue workers are now facing treacherous conditions due to heavy rain, lack of power, destroyed bridges and roads blocked by fallen trees as they try to reach survivors and determine the full scope of the disaster.
Further, a dog squad has joined the search and rescue operations in Wayanad’s Chooralmala which was hit by a landslide on Tuesday. Two massive landslides struck the state’s hilly areas in Meppadi panchayat early on July 30 morning with villages Mundakkai, Chooralmala, Attamala and Noolpuzha among the severely affected. The area which has been witnessing incessant rainfall over the past two weeks faced devastation after the landslide struck, with rivers and their tributaries swelling and changing course, flowing through the villages and wreaking destruction.
Rescue teams from the Army, Navy, Air Force and NDRF are assisting in rescue operations. 60 teams from the Ezhimala Naval Academy arrived in Chooralmala early this morning to assist in rescue operations.The team, comprising 45 sailors, five officers, six fire guards and a doctor is headed by Lt Commandant Ashirvad, the Kerala Public Relations Department said. Commandant of the Para Regimental Training, Brigadier Arjun Seagan told ANI that “rescue operations have been ongoing since yesterday morning. Yesterday, due to bad weather conditions, the rescue teams were not able to rescue a lot of people. Around 500 to 600 personnel from the NDRF team, army, state police, forest officials, and volunteers have been carrying out the rescue operations today.” Brigadier Seagan said efforts were on to rebuild the washed-away bridge and as soon the conditions become better, people will be airlifted out.“We are trying our best to build the bridge again so that we can move the earth-moving equipment inside and to make the digging process easier. We have been doing the process manually as of now. As soon as the weather conditions become better, we will start airlifting the people,” the army official said.