As heavy rains continue to wreak havoc in Kerala, the very first woman who made the distress call to emergency services during the Wayanad landslides has been found dead. As the search and rescue operations enter the seventh day, the death toll due to the landslides is at least 222.
The woman, who has been identified as Neethu Jojo, made the first call to emergency services on July 30.
As per The Indian Express, Neethu alerted the Wayanad Institute of Medical Sciences (WIMS), Meppadi at 1:30 AM, just as the landslides struck the region.
Despite emergency services being alerted, it was too late for Neethu. Neethu was in her house with her husband, five-year-old son and her parents and other neighbours seeking refuge from the rains at the time of the landslides.
A call recording of Neethu calling for help while trapped in her house has also made rounds of social media. As per news agency PTI, Neethu revealed in the call that her family and six others were trapped in her house as water continued to gush inside.
At 4 AM, when the second landslide struck the area, it swept away the portion of the house Neethu was in. Her body was recovered on Saturday and was laid to rest by the surviving members of her family.
Wayanad Landslides: Death Toll Nears 400, More Rains Expected In Kerala
As the rescue operations enter their seventh day, the death toll is expected to cross 400. As of now, Kerala authorities have reported that around 360 people have been confirmed dead.
As per the latest update on the deaths as of Sunday evening, a total of 221 bodies and 166 body parts of the landslide victims had been recovered so far. The number of missing people has gone down from 206 to 180.
Due to the mass destruction caused by the landslides, over 2,500 people, including 599 children are staying in various relief camps in Kerala's Wayanad.
As Kerala continued to reel in from the destruction of the Wayanad landslides, the Indian Meterelogicial Department has predicted more rains in the region.
As per the latest official figures released by the Chief Minister's Office (CMO), a total of 16 rescue camps have been put up in Meppadi and other panchayats in the hill district.
The CMO added that as many as 2,514 people belonging to 723 families are in the camps. Of this, 943 are male, 972 are female, and 599 are children.
