The mass burial of 31 unclaimed bodies and 158 body parts recovered from the July 30 landslide in Wayanad, Kerala, is set to take place on Monday. According to state Revenue Minister K Rajan, the graves have been prepared in a tea estate nearby, with each grave marked according to the identification number assigned to each body or the DNA profile of the body parts.
The burial process will begin following a meeting of the cabinet sub-committee. Minister Rajan stated that the 31 unclaimed bodies will be buried first, followed by the separate interment of body parts based on DNA identification. Search efforts for missing persons, particularly around the Chaliyar River and surrounding areas, will continue and will be bolstered by additional cadaver dogs arriving from across the country.
The burial site is located on a 64-cent plot of land owned by Harrisons Malayalam Ltd, which has been designated for this purpose. On Saturday and Sunday, 13 bodies were buried in total, with the burials performed with prayers and rites from various religions. Thirty graves were prepared on August 4, but only eight bodies were buried at that time. The ceremonies included prayers led by Father Jibin Vattakkalathil from Chooralmala St. Sebastian Church, Priest Kuttan from Meppadi Mariyamman Temple, and Khathib Mustafal Faizy from Meppadi Juma Masjid. Authorities are also collecting blood samples from close relatives of the deceased for DNA matching to aid in identifying the bodies and body parts. Blood samples are being taken from survivors, including children, grandchildren, parents, grandparents, and siblings, following counseling.