Wayanad Landslides update: A series of landslides destroyed Kerala's Wayanad district amid heavy rain, killing at least 158 people and injuring over 186 others. Landslides wiped out roads and houses, uprooted trees, and caused water bodies to rise in level. Efforts to rescue and locate the missing persons are still underway.
Wayanad landslides update:
The national flag is flying at half-mast at the Kerala Legislative Assembly as the state observes two days of mourning following the Wayanad landslide, which claimed 143 lives.
Hundreds more are feared trapped as government agencies conduct rescue operations in the impacted regions. Several families have complained that their loved ones cannot be located.
The Indian Army has dispatched over 300 personnel to assist with search and rescue operations in Wayanad, with another 140 on standby in Thiruvananthapuram in case of an emergency. Along with this, two Air Force helicopters, a Mi-17 and an ALH, are coordinating rescue efforts.
According to Kerala health minister Veena George, the postmortem of 116 bodies has been done.
All educational institutions will remain shut on Wednesday due to the tragedy and heavy rainfall. According to Onmanorama, a holiday has been declared in 11 districts: Kasaragod, Kannur, Kozhikode, Wayanad, Malappuram, Palakkad, Thrissur, Idukki, Ernakulam, Alappuzha, and Pathanamthitta.
In Kerala, continuous rain has hampered relief efforts. The state received 372 mm of rain in 24 hours before three landslides struck Wayanad district in four hours.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued an 'orange' alert for Wayanad and surrounding areas, anticipating severe to very heavy rain on July 31 and August 1. The weather bureau has also predicted heavy rainfall on August 2.
“Strong surface winds with speeds reaching 30-40 gusting to 50 kmph are likely to prevail occasionally over Kerala on July 30 and 31."
The state Health Department has established a control room. Those in need of emergency assistance should reach authorities at 9656938689 and 8086010833.
