Wayanad landslides LIVE | Clearly a national disaster, let's see what govt does: Rahul
CM Pinarayi Vijayan holds all-party meet; more than 1,500 rescued so far from landslide-hit areas of Mundakkai, Chooralmala, Attamala, and Noolpuzha
Congress leader and former Wayanad MP Rahul Gandhi and his sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra are in Wayanad to visit the landslide-affected areas and meet people who have been injured and lost their homes in the calamity.
Addressing the media after an all-party meeting on the issue on Thursday (August 1), Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said the rescue mission in landslides-hit Mundakkai region might take some more days and that a cabinet sub-committee comprising four ministers has been appointed to coordinate the rescue efforts.
The four ministers –Revenue Minister K Rajan, Forest Minister AK Saseendran, PWD and Tourism Minister PA Mohamed Riyas, and SC/ST Department Minister O R Kelu – will camp in the district.
The chief minister said the rescue attempt is not something that will be over in a few days.
"This rescue attempt is not something which can be resolved in a short period of time. As of now, 12 ministers are camping in Wayanad. Now the all-party meeting has decided that four ministers will camp here to coordinate the rescue operations," Vijayan said.
Vijayan said while it was initially difficult to begin the search operations due to the massive accumulation of soil, now that the Army is completing the construction of the Bailey Bridge, the mission will be easier.
The construction of a Bailey bridge to connect the landslide-hit areas, where several people are believed to be stranded, alongside the deployment of sniffer dogs and over 1,000 rescuers from Central and state emergency response teams conducting massive search operations, constitutes one of the largest rescue efforts in Wayanad.
Massive landslides triggered by torrential rains hit Mundakkai, Chooralmala, Attamala, and Noolpuzha hamlets in the early hours of Tuesday, killing several people, including women and children.
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Describing the landslide in Kerala's Wayanad as a "grave disaster," West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday expressed her deep sorrow over the incident and extended her condolences to the families of the victims.
Banerjee said two Trinamool Congress MPs, Saket Gokhale and Sushmita Dev, would travel to the affected areas in the southern state to provide assistance and support to the families impacted by the disaster.
In a post on X, she said, "We are greatly perturbed by the news of the Wayanad landslides in Kerala. It is really a grave disaster. On humanitarian grounds, we are sending a team of two of our MPs, Saket Gokhale & Sushmita Dev, to visit the affected areas."
She said the MPs will stay there for two days and extend full assistance and cooperation for the well-being of the suffering families.
#WATCH | After meeting Wayanad landslides survivors, Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra says, "We have spent a whole day meeting people who have suffered. It's an immense tragedy. We can only imagine the kind of pain the people are suffering. We are here to give as much… pic.twitter.com/3nI6dWGbMq— ANI (@ANI) August 1, 2024
#WATCH | In Wayanad, Congress MP & LoP Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi says, "It is a terrible tragedy for Wayanad, for Kerala and the nation. We have come here to see the situation. It is painful to see how many people have lost family members and their houses. We will try to help and… pic.twitter.com/puqOMWRBYC— ANI (@ANI) August 1, 2024
#WATCH | On Wayanad tragedy, Congress MP & LoP Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi says, "I don't think this is the time for place to talk about political issues. People here require help. The time right now is to make sure that all assistance comes. I am not interested in politics right… pic.twitter.com/10XayCWgRl
— ANI (@ANI) August 1, 2024
Today, I feel how I felt when my father died. Here people have not just lost a father but an entire family. We all owe these people respect and affection. The whole nation's attention is towards Wayanad: Rahul Gandhi
"We have issued an orange alert in 4 northern districts of Kerala including Wayanad. In the south till up to Pathanamthitta, we have issued a yellow alert also. From tomorrow there will considerable reduction in rainfall activity. So the yellow alerts are being confirmed only to the northern districts of Kerala. 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... The wind speed will be very high over the mountainous regions. So, that can cause a bit of difficulty in the rescue operations: IMD Kerala director Neetha K Gopal
The rescue has been completed. Right now, we are only retrieving the bodies. If there is anyone who is trapped in houses, then we will rescue them. But it is a difficult task during the rains. Three Army dogs are deployed here... We stop the rescue operations in the evening as it is dangerous. Our five teams are deployed here for the rescue operations: General Officer Commanding (GOC) Karnataka and Kerala Sub Area, Major General VT Mathew