100 bodies recovered: Maj Gen VT Mathew on Wayanad landslide

Wayanad: A view of the spot where a landslide occurred due to heavy rains at Chooralmala in Wayanad district, Kerala, Tuesday, July 30, 2024. Officials said at least 90 people were killed and 128 injured. (Photo: PTI)

4 minutes of reading Last updated: August 01, 2024 | 10:32 AM IST

Major General VT Mathew, sub-divisional commander of Karnataka and Kerala, said on Thursday that over 100 bodies have been recovered after several devastating landslides hit Wayanad in Kerala, adding that over 500 Army personnel are involved in the search and rescue operation.

Two massive landslides hit Mundakkai and Churalmala in Wayanad in the early morning hours of July 30, causing widespread destruction. As many as 167 people died in the landslides, according to the Kerala Revenue Department.

“We are here to support the government and people of Kerala since the morning of July 30. We have recovered over 100 bodies and the total number of casualties is much higher. We have also rescued so many people,” the Major General said.

He added that the construction of the bridge will be completed today (Thursday) at 10:00 am.

“Almost all those who needed help have been rescued, and now we need to get into the houses and check if there are any trapped people, for this we need heavy equipment. The construction of the bridge will be completed by 10 am today, and then we will be able to bring heavy equipment to the site and start searching for people. We have been building the bridge day and night, it will be completed today and it will change the dynamics of the search and rescue operation. We will also use our dog unit; more than 500 soldiers are at work,” he added.

Meanwhile, Kerala Health Minister Veena George said over 154 bodies have been handed over to the district administration.

“We have handed over 154 bodies to the district administration. We are taking genetic samples of the recovered body parts. Our CM has requested for support from the Army and the Air Force and we have received that support. The CM will come to Wayanad today and hold an official meeting,” Veena George said.

Reacting to Home Minister Amit Shah’s statement that the Kerala government could have minimised the losses in Wayanad, the Kerala Health Minister called it “unfortunate”.

“It is very unfortunate that such an announcement has been made. The District Disaster Management Authority has all the data. There are landslide-prone areas all over Kerala,” she said.

The home minister on Wednesday said Kerala authorities could have minimised the losses in Wayanad if they had alerted the authorities after the central government warned about potential landslides and the threat to lives of people.

“There was an early warning and that is why we sent nine NDRF teams on July 23 and three more were sent yesterday. If they had been on standby on the day the NDRF teams landed, a lot could have been saved. But it is time to stand with the government and the people of Kerala. Regardless of party politics, the Narendra Modi government will stand with the people of Kerala,” Amit Shah said.

Meanwhile, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan is leaving for Wayanad from Kozhikode along with Chief Secretary Dr V Venu and Kerala Chief Minister Shaik Darvesh Sahib.

Minister George Kurien, who also took stock of the situation, said he had been sent by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, adding that several columns of the Army and NDRF, while two columns of the DSE, had already arrived.

“The Prime Minister has sent me here… Several columns of the Army and NDRF are here and two columns of the DSE are already here. The Army and the Air Force have their six helicopters here since yesterday, including one Navy helicopter. They are dropping food as some people are not connected. They are in such a situation. They are not getting any food or anything as there is only one road leading to the villages and it is damaged… Yesterday morning, the Prime Minister announced a compensation of Rs 2 lakhs from the centre for the families of those who lost their lives and Rs 50,000 for the injured. Early this morning, the Prime Minister’s office contacted me and directed me to come here,” Kurien told ANI.

The Madras Engineers Group is steadily progressing towards the completion of the Choorlamalai Bridge.

“The Madras Engineers Group (MEG) team is steadily progressing towards the completion of the Choorlamalai bridge, demonstrating perseverance and dedication even in the face of adverse weather conditions and rising water levels,” PRO Defence Kochi wrote on X.

Rescue operations have been intensified, political leaders are holding talks, and financial aid is being mobilized for the region.

The first landslide occurred in Mundakkai town and the second in Chooralmala. The massive landslides caused havoc in the region, damaging houses and roads, uprooting trees and causing water bodies to swell, hampering rescue operations. Relief and rescue operations are currently underway.

(Only the headline and image of the report may have been edited by the Business Standard team; the rest of the content is automatically generated from a syndicated feed.)

First published: August 01, 2024 | 10:32 AM IST