The rescue operations to pull out the survivors of the devastating landslides that hit Kerala's hilly areas of Wayanad district early on Tuesday have concluded. Officials have said that their focus now remains only on retrieving bodies.
The official death toll, as announced by the state government, stands at 308. Earlier, state Leader of Opposition VD Satheesan had said that the death toll could go above 300.
Teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), state forces, Indian Army and defence forces have been relentlessly working in the rescue efforts in the region.
WAYANAD LANDSLIDES RESCUE OPS END | KEY POINTS
Death Toll
Though the official number of lives lost in the Wayanad landslides stands at 206, Kerala Leader of Opposition VD Satheesan said that death toll may rise above 300. Additionally, CM Pinarayi Vijayan also told the media that as per the Army, all those who could be saved from the debris have been rescued, adding that there are still many people missing. Rescue work is "not something that will be over in a few days", the CM said.
Retrieving Bodies Now
General VT Mathew, General Officer Commanding (GOC) Karnataka and Kerala Sub Area, told news agency ANI that the rescue work has been completed, adding that right now, "we are only retrieving the bodies". Mathew further said, "If there is anyone who is trapped in houses then we will rescue them. But it is a difficult task during the rains. 3 Army dogs are deployed here... We stop the rescue operations in the evening as it is dangerous. Our 5 teams are deployed here for the rescue operations."
Rahul Gandhi In Wayanad
Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition and former Wayanad MP Rahul Gandhi visited the landslide-hit Choorlamala area of the district along with his sister and Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra. The leaders also met with the people affected in the calamity at a community health centre. | READ MORE HERE
IMD On Kerala Weather
Neetha K Gopal, IMD Kerala Director, said that they have issued an orange alert in four northern districts of the state including Wayanad. The weather office has also issued yellow alert in the south till up to Pathanamthitta.
"And then from Sunday there will be a reduction and we will be experiencing only light to moderate rain thereafter for another four days...This continuous rainfall will give rise to the accumulated effect also...There will be rain, but in between there can be some clear spells also. So, that will be a bit of relief for the rescue operators," she added.
What CM Vijayan Said
Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan noted that a high-level meeting was held on Thursday, where it was discussed that the focus is on rescuing those who are isolated. He also thanked the Army for their efforts in the rescue operations. Notably, a bailey bridge has also been built by the Army to rescue the stranded people.
Vijayan told the media that all those who are alive have been saved. "It is assumed that nobody is left to be saved in the villages of Mundakkai, Chooralmala and Attamala. Rescue workers are looking into whether anyone got stranded individually. What is left is to retrieve bodies from the area," he said.
He further noted that "rescue operations will continue in the river to search for missing persons".
"Rescued people are temporarily shifted to camps. Rehabilitation works will be done at the earliest, as we have done in earlier situations too," Vijayan added.
The CM said avoiding the spread of the epidemic is also important. He noted that not only humans, animals also died in this calamity, adding that they all have to be buried properly. "A committee of four ministers will camp here and coordinate activities. For those who lost certificates, the government will re-issue them," he added.
