Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan announced on Thursday that the rescue mission in the landslide-affected Mundakkai region of Wayanad may extend for several more days. He has appointed a cabinet sub-committee of four ministers to oversee and coordinate the rescue operations. The ministers will remain stationed in Wayanad, where torrential rains have caused landslides resulting in 173 fatalities to date.
Following an all-party meeting, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan addressed the media and commended the rescue workers, particularly the Indian Army, for their exemplary efforts. He reported that Army representatives had confirmed that all people who could be rescued from the debris had been successfully saved.
"There are so many missing people. We have recovered so many bodies from many parts of the region. The rescue workers have recovered many bodies from the Chaliyar River. Many body parts were also recovered," the chief minister added. He said the rescue attempt is not something that will be over in a few days.
"This rescue attempt is not something which can be resolved in a short period of time. As of now, 12 ministers are camping in Wayanad. Now the all-party meeting has decided that four ministers will camp here to coordinate the rescue operations," Vijayan said.
Vijayan said that Revenue Minister K. Rajan, Forest Minister A.K. Saseendran, PWD and Tourism Minister P.A. Mohamed Riyas, and SC/ST Department Minister O.R. Kelu will be stationed in the district. He also noted that many individuals remain missing and that the search operations initially faced challenges due to the extensive soil accumulation.