Kerala ADGP MR Ajith Kumar on Friday said approximately 300 people were still missing in the devastating landslides that hit the region.
Published Aug 02, 2024 | 12:03 PM ⚊ Updated Aug 02, 2024 | 1:07 PM
Rescue teams on Chaliyar river. (Supplied)
Braving rains and adverse terrain, 40 teams of rescuers resumed search operations in landslide-hit Wayanad district on the fourth day on Friday, 2 August.
On Thursday, 1 August, a ministerial sub-committee consisting of Revenue Minister K Rajan, Forest Minister AK Saseendran, Public Works Minister PA Muhammad Riyas, SC/ST Minister OR Kelu, special officers Siram Sambasiva Rao and A Kaushigan announced that the 40 teams will be divided into six sectors to conduct search operations in the Mundakkai and Churalmala areas.
The search and rescue operations that got underway early in the morning received an impetus due to the completion of the 190-foot-long Bailey bridge that will enable the movement of heavy machinery, including excavators, and ambulances to the worst-affected Mundakkai and Chooralmala hamlets, they said.
A Defence source said Columns with dog squads commenced search operations at 7 am. Search operations were planned based on local interest.
The 40 teams will conduct search operations in six zones of the landslides-hit areas —
The joint teams will include personnel from the army, NDRF, DSG, Coast Guard, Navy, and MEG along with three locals and one forest department employee.
A police helicopter will conduct a parallel search, while the Coast Guard, Navy, and Forest Department will search along the riverbanks and areas where bodies may be trapped.
Army sources updated that they found four persons— two men and two women—alive in Padavetti Kunnu. Of the four, a woman is said to have suffered a leg injury. The rescuers said they are coordinating evacuation by air.
The Army further said that their humanitarian assistance and disaster relief operations on Friday will mainly be concentrated on Punchirimattom region, Mundakkai region, school area, village area and downstream. They also added that search operations have been planned based on local interest.
“10 teams comprising 30 members each formed from Armed Forces have been given the responsibility of search and rescue in the said zones. Dog squads are also there,” said Army sources.
To facilitate the search operations, 25 ambulances will be deployed to Mundakkai via Bailey Bridge and parked at the Meppadi Polytechnic campus.
The District Collector will issue a special pass to each ambulance.
State Revenue Minister K Rajan, a day ago, had said that a drone-based radar from Delhi would arrive on Saturday to locate bodies buried in the mud.
Currently, six dogs are assisting in the search operations, with four more cadaver dogs from Tamil Nadu en route to Wayanad.
The search operations will be equipped with sufficient JCB, Hitachi, and cutting machines to aid in the search and rescue efforts.
In addition to this, a three-pronged search operation will begin, focusing on the Chaliyar River, according to the rescue plan devised by the authorities.
The eight police stations, along the 40-km stretch of Chaliyar, will join forces with local swimming experts to search the river for bodies that may have flown downstream or are trapped along the riverbanks.
Kerala ADGP MR Ajith Kumar said the Kerala police, with the help of specialised agencies, will undertake combing in the Chaliyar river till Kozhikode city.
“We are also doing river combing. Yesterday, we found bodies from Pothukal. So now we have directed all the police stations which have jurisdiction along the banks of the Chaliyar river till Kozhikode city, to search their respective areas,” Kumar said.
There were reports of bodies being found from the banks of Chaliyar river in Malappuram district.
Authorities had said 143 bodies and several body parts found from the portion of Chaliyar river flowing through Malappuram have been brought to Wayanad.
According to the Wayanad district administration, the dead include 27 children and 76 women. More than 225 others have been injured, mostly in the worst-hit areas of Mundakkai and Chooralmala, the authorities had said.
#WayanadLanslide: #NDRF Teams are Conducting Search and Rescue Operations at Malappuram’s Chaliyar River and #Wayanad‘s landslide Site.
Landslide Affected area is divided into 6 zones based on accessibility & prospects of recovery of missing persons.
Z1-Punchirimattom… pic.twitter.com/xDyLFFTWhs
— South First (@TheSouthfirst) August 2, 2024
Wayand Collector Meghashree DR said, the GPS coordinates from aerial drone pictures and cell phones, including last location, of people who lived in the landslides-hit areas have been used to identify spots where search and rescue operations can be focused.
She also said that GPS coordinates of certain search locations have been identified from aerial photographs taken by drones.
Besides that, cell phone data, including the last location, of people who lived in the search zones were also used to identify spots where rescue operations could be focused, she said.
“We mapped all this data and gave it to all the teams so that the search and rescue operations can proceed efficiently and speedily,” the Collector said.
Telecom service providers restored and augmented their connectivity to provide continuous coverage in Wayanad by major Telecom Service Providers including BSNL, Airtel, Reliance Jio and Vi.
The BSNL provided diesel engines to ensure that the towers were functional even when there was no power. The telecom service also provided speedy Internet connections to the district administration and toll-free numbers to the Health Department.
Meanwhile, Reliance Jio has installed a second dedicated tower to provide further support in the affected area. The increase in network capacity and coverage will greatly assist both the distressed residents and the rescue workers and disaster management teams on the ground.
The Airtel management has provided free 1GB mobile data, unlimited calling, and 100 SMS per day for three days to the prepaid customers whose validity has expired and unable to recharge. While for postpaid customers, Airtel has extended bill payment dates by 30 days.
Airtel has converted all its 52 retail stores in Kerala into relief collection points where people can drop off relief materials, which will be handed over to the local administration to be sent to the affected communities in Wayanad.
Similarly, Vodafone Idea (Vi) too is providing 1GB of mobile data per day, for seven days, and extended the postpaid bill due date to 10 days.
Vi has also ensured that all its 263 sites in the district, including 17 sites in the critically impacted areas, are fully operational to act as relief collection points.
To maintain and establish essential communication channels for rescue teams, government officials and the public, the Telecom Service Providers are augmenting and restoring telecom connectivity on a war footing in #Wayanad, affected by massive landslides.
The telecom… pic.twitter.com/j2jUZfWQVh
— South First (@TheSouthfirst) August 2, 2024
According to the Kerala Health Department, the death toll has risen to 201 by 12 PM on Friday, and 130 body parts have also been collected which are in the process of being identified through genetic testing.
Of the 201 people who died, 82 were women, 91 were men, and 28 were children.
As of 12 pm, the #WayanadLandslide have resulted in 201 confirmed deaths, including 82 women, 91 men, and 28 children.
In addition, 130 body parts have been recovered from the disaster area.
Visuals From Day 4 of Search & Rescue Mission pic.twitter.com/i7dOKa31FQ
— South First (@TheSouthfirst) August 2, 2024
So far, 327 autopsies, including that of body parts, have been performed, the department said, adding that 116 bodies were handed over to relatives.
Besides that, 264 people were injured in the disaster and of them 176 have been discharged, two have been referred to other hospitals and 86 are undergoing treatment in various hospitals in the district, the department said.
Kerala Health Minister Veena George, in a Facebook post, said that ICUs have been prepared in government hospitals in Wayanad for the treatment of those seriously injured in the landslides.
She also said that genetic samples have been taken from the 130 body parts recovered so far.
Kerala ADGP MR Ajith Kumar on Friday said approximately 300 people were still missing in the devastating landslides that hit the region.
Talking to the media while coordinating the search and rescue missions, Kumar said around 300 people were still missing but the final number can be ascertained only after the Revenue Department collects the details.
“Based on the information we have received till now, approximately around 300 people are still missing. However, the Revenue Department is still collating the details. Within one or two days we will be able to get a final picture,” Kumar said.
According to official sources, the extent of human loss will emerge when rescuers clear houses covered by debris and wood logs using heavy machinery.
Meanwhile, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has directed Chief Secretary V Venu to withdraw a controversial note issued by the State Disaster Management Authority, which restrained science and technology institutions in the state from sharing their opinions and study reports with the media regarding the recent deadly landslides in Wayanad.
In a statement on Thursday night, Vijayan said the news that the State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA) had directed scientific institutions and scientists not to visit the disaster-affected Meppadi Panchayat in Wayanad and not to express their opinions was misleading.
“The state government does not have such a policy,” the Chief Minister said.
“The Chief Secretary has been directed to immediately intervene and withdraw the communication that conveyed such a message,” he said.
(With inputs from Dileep V Kumar, Sreelakshmi Soman, and PTI)
