Search for life continues in Wayanad

The toll from landslides in Wayanad district of Kerala rose to 210 on Friday, while 139 mangled body parts were retrieved from the affected areas, particularly, the Chaliyar river, as rescuers continued to search under the debris of homes for any signs of life three days after tragedy struck the area.

While 147 bodies have been identified so far, DNA tests have been conducted to identify 207 victims, officials said on Friday. Separately, over 490 people have been rescued from the affected area with 81 of them still undergoing treatment at hospitals in Wayanad, Kozhikode and Malappuram districts.

The landslides were reported between 1am and 4.30 am on Tuesday, as huge mounds of mud, boulders, slush and debris flew downhill through the Iruvazhinji river, in the process flattening the densely-populated settlements of Chooralmala and Mundakkai which were nestled among pristine tea plantations.

Hope briefly flickered in Mundakkai as rescuers detected signs of life using an advanced radar system, but the search operation was called off at 9.15pm without any concrete results.

An intense search was carried out, with debris removed using machinery, after an official involved in the operation said that a “blue signal” (indicating breathing) was received on the radar while combing through a severely-affected area where a house previously stood.

However, the official clarified that it was unclear whether the breathing signal was from a human or animal.

In a late evening Facebook post, Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan said the search for life continues, with radars detecting even the slightest movements, offering glimmers of hope. “Amid the darkness and rubble of the collapsed building, rescuers continue their efforts, determined to find any remaining survivors,” he said.

The state government has drawn up a comprehensive plan with rescue personnel divided into 40 teams scouring through six zones including the Chaliyar river. The Coast Guard and a team from the Tamil Nadu rescue forces has joined the search operations across both banks of the river up till Nilambur where most of the remains were fished out.

The construction of the bailey bridge by the army helped rescue personnel move large machinery including earthmovers onto parts of Mundakkai which was inaccessible for the last three days. The role of the earthmovers, said officials, was critical in separating the debris and helping find bodies of victims who may have been stuck in the rubble.

Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi and Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, who were on the second day of their visit to the district, held meetings with panchayat officials on Friday, announced that their party would commit to building 100 homes for the victims of the tragedy.

“I have been here since yesterday. This is a terrible tragedy. Today, we had a meeting with the administration and the panchayat officials and they briefed us on the casualties they expect and the houses damaged so far. We have said that we are here to help in any way possible. Congress family would like to commit to building 100 plus houses here. I think Kerala has not seen such kind of a tragedy in a single area and I am going to raise it in Delhi and with the chief minister here,” Rahul Gandhi said.