Death Toll In Wayanad Landslide Reaches 176; Search And Rescue Operations Underway
|The army has begun constructing a Bailey bridge connecting Chooralmala and Mundakkai, as the only bridge to the area had been washed off by the landslide on Tuesday.
At least 176 people died and several have sustained injuries after landslides struck Mundakkai and Chooralmala of Kerala's Wayanad on Tuesday. Around 220 people are still missing. Army, NDRF, state police, forest officials, and volunteers are carrying out the rescue operations in the region, which have been ongoing since Tuesday morning. Rescue teams are reportedly retrieving dead bodies trapped inside ruined houses in Mundakkai.
The army has begun constructing a Bailey bridge connecting Chooralmala and Mundakkai, as the only bridge to the area had been washed off by the landslide on Tuesday. On the other hand, district authorities have started collecting data to find the number of people missing following the landslide. Authorities, with the support of rescue teams, are distributing food and water to Chooralmala and Mundakkai.
#WayanadLandslides
— Southern Command INDIAN ARMY (@IaSouthern) July 31, 2024
In a remarkable display of coordinated efforts, #IndianArmy Columns along with #NDRF, State rescue teams, #CoastGuard, #IndianNavy and #IAF, have been relentlessly working to address the crisis. Upto 1000 personnel rescued so far using man made bridge and… pic.twitter.com/BhNnEWibHc
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Wednesday issued an ‘Orange’ alert for several districts in Kerala, including Malappuram, Kozhikode, Wayanad, Kannur, and Kasaragod districts. IMD has also issued a ‘Yellow’ alert for Pathanamthitta, Alappuzha, Kottayam, Ernakulam, Idukki, Thrissur, and Palakkad. At the same time, Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi postponed their visit to Wayanad after authorities informed the leaders that incessant rains would make their safe landing difficult.