At least 138 people are reported missing following the massive landslides that devastated a northern district of Kerala over a week ago, according to initial figures released by local authorities on Wednesday. The district administration indicated that the draft list of missing people was prepared using ration cards and voter records from the disaster-hit areas.
"The list of missing people was prepared after collating the official records held by Gram Panchayat, ICDS, District Education Office, Labor Office, District Disaster Management Authority etc," it said.
The district administration also noted that the list has been updated to exclude names of individuals who are living in camps, staying with relatives, admitted to hospitals, or have had their deaths confirmed. This draft is considered the preliminary version, and the public is encouraged to review it and provide any additional information about the missing persons to the authorities.
Further changes will be made to the list based on information received and verifications carried out, the administration said in the release. “The draft list will be available on the official website https://wayanad.gov.in/ of the district administration, on the social media accounts of the district collector etc. and on the notice boards of the collectorate etc.,” it said.
Meanwhile, the search operations for those missing from the landslide-affected areas of Chooralmala and Mundakkai have entered their ninth day. A total of 1,026 personnel from various forces, including the army and navy, along with over 500 volunteers and heavy machinery, are actively involved in the search efforts.