Wayanad landslide: Rescue efforts intensify, death toll rises amid signs of hope

As search operations entered their fifth day on Saturday, rescue teams equipped with state-of-the-art technical gadgets and dogs continued to sift through the debris following the devastating Wayanad landslide, one of the deadliest natural disasters in Kerala.

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan took to Facebook to give a glimmer of hope, saying that radars were detecting even tiny movements.

Latest updates on landslides in Wayanad:

1. Growing death toll:The number of bodies recovered from landslides in Wayanad has risen to 210. Meanwhile, 187 people have been discharged from hospitals, but around 300 people are still missing and there is little hope of finding them alive.
2. Miraculous rescue:A family of four was rescued from an isolated house near Padavetti Kunnu on the fourth day of deadly landslides, providing a glimmer of hope to hundreds of rescuers searching for survivors.
3. Extensive search operations:Around 40 rescue teams, aided by cadaver dogs, are conducting search operations in six zones of the landslide-hit areas. The dogs are using their keen sense of smell to locate survivors trapped under the rubble.
4. Heroic efforts:In a daring rescue operation, forest officials rescued four toddlers and their parents from a tribal community. A team led by Kalpetta Range Forest Officer K. Hashis went deep into the forest to rescue the family.
5. Technological assistance: An officer involved in the operation reported receiving a “blue signal,” indicating potential breathing signs, while searching a house in the hard-hit village of Mundakkai. Unfortunately, the search ended Friday evening without finding any survivors.
6. Weather forecast:The India Meteorological Department has forecast partly cloudy skies with occasional rain and thunderstorms in Wayanad on Saturday.
7. International condolences: US President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden expressed their condolences, praising the courage of Indian soldiers and first responders. “We mourn the families who lost loved ones and continue to keep the people of India in our thoughts at this difficult time,” the White House said.
8. Environmental protection measures:The Centre has issued a draft notification to declare over 56,800 square kilometres of the Western Ghats, including 13 villages in Wayanad in Kerala, as Ecologically Sensitive Area (ESA). The notification comes a day after landslides claimed over 300 lives in Wayanad.
9. Political accusations:The Congress party has accused the Centre of delaying the granting of ‘ecologically sensitive area’ status to parts of the Western Ghats, saying it is directly responsible for the human tragedy in Wayanad.
10. Application for privilege: Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh has filed a privilege motion in the Rajya Sabha against Union Home Minister Amit Shah for his claims of “early warning” regarding the Wayanad landslide. Ramesh alleged that Shah had misled the Rajya Sabha with false statements about early warnings, which amounted to breach of privilege and contempt of the House.