Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan announced on Saturday that search and rescue operations in disaster-stricken Wayanad are in final stages. However, 206 individuals are still unaccounted for. Speaking to the media, Vijayan highlighted challenges in identifying the bodies and body parts retrieved from the Chaliyar River.
"Till now, 215 bodies have been recovered, of which 87 are women, 98 are men, and 30 are children. As many as 148 bodies have been handed over so far. There are 206 people missing. Eighty-one people are injured and are under treatment in various hospitals," he said.
The Chief Minister revealed that 67 bodies remain unidentified, and the local panchayats will oversee their last rites. Regarding rehabilitation efforts, Vijayan announced plans to establish a secure area for building a new township. Additionally, he stated that the Education Minister will visit the schools affected by the disaster, and the Education Department will implement measures to ensure the continuity of education for the children impacted by the crisis.