Wayanad landslide LIVE | 125 dead, many feared trapped under debris; rescue underway

Karnataka deputes senior IAS officers for rescue and relief

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has stated that all necessary cooperation is being provided for rescue and relief operations in Wayanad. The government has deputed two IAS officers to coordinate with Kerala state authorities about these operations.

The Chief Minister said the NDRF team in Bangaluru and teams of the Madras Engineer Group of the Army have been sent to assist in the rescue and relief efforts in Wayanad.

One officer from MEG, along with two JCOs and 70 personnel of various ranks, has already departed for Wayanad in 15 vehicles carrying rescue and relief supplies. Additionally, two more officers, four JCOs, and 100 army personnel equipped with necessary equipments will depart in 40 vehicles.

To facilitate swift movement of these teams and relief material transport vehicles to Wayanad, instructions have been issued to allow unrestricted passage through the Green Corridor at the Bandipur Check Post.

The govt is in constant touch with the disaster management authorities of the Government of Kerala and is providing necessary assistance. Moreover, Deputy Commissioners of border districts Mysuru and Chamarajanagar are also extending appropriate support.

Medical aid, hospital facilities, and buses to transport the injured are ready and positioned in H.D.Kote. The Chamarajanagar district administration has initiated a helpline to assist citizens who frequently travel to Wayanad from the district border.

The Chief Minister himself is closely monitoring the situation and has directed officials to provide all possible support to the rescue and relief operations in Wayanad.

Further, for the coordination of rescue and relief efforts in Wayanad, senior IAS officers P.C. Jaffer (mobile number 9448355577) and Dilish Sasi (9446000514) have been deputed.

Kerala CM holds high-level meeting

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has convened a high-level meeting to coordinate rescue operations in Wayanad and discuss further steps in the wake of the massive landslides in the hilly district.

At the meeting with top bureaucrats from various departments and senior police officers, Vijayan assessed the rescue operations as well as reviewed the coordination with central government agencies, the deployment of disaster response forces, and the health and safety precautions and facilities in the relief camps, a statement issued by his office said.

He attended the meeting at the office of the Disaster Management Authority, which coordinates rescue operations at the state level.

The landslides left a trail of destruction, with several houses destroyed, water bodies swollen, and trees uprooted, hampering rescue work.

Evacuation almost completed from Mundakkai: District panchayat president, Wayanad

"We have rescued everyone who had contacted the media or officials from Tree Valley Resort, Mundakkai madrasa, and Inspection Bungalow, and a few who have taken refuge on a hilltop. The inhabitants of the Chola Nayakkan tribal hamlet are safe," says Samshad Marakkar, district panchayat president, Wayanad.

Contribute like you did in 2018: Kerala CM tells people

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Tuesday put out an appeal while speaking of the trail of destruction and despair left behind by the landslides in Wayanad district that killed 93 people and injured 128. He urged people to come together to rebuild destroyed lives and livelihoods, like they did in 2018 when floods ravaged the state.

Vijayan said that while many people were offering help, more was needed to rebuild the affected areas and lives, and urged everyone to contribute to the Chief Minister's Distress Relief Fund.

Indian Coast Guard sends heavy equipment

Heavy engineering equipment and rescue dog teams are being airlifted and disaster relief teams have been dispatched by the Indian Coast Guard to provide aid and succour to people after a series of landslides in the hilly areas of Wayanad.

"As tragic disaster struck at Wayanad in wee hours today, Indian Armed Forces swung into immediate action and 300 Military personnel were moved forthwith to commence rescue operations. During the day, additional columns of Army, Naval teams and helicopters from Air Force were mobilised to assist the rescue and relief efforts.

"All out efforts are underway as additional troops, heavy engineering equipment, Rescue Dog teams and other essential relief stores are being airlifted by Service aircrafts from Trivandrum, Bengaluru and Delhi," the Office of the Raksha Mantri said in a post on X.

Heavy rain cripples Kerala

It has been raining heavily in other districts in Kerala as well. The government has declared holiday for eight districts tomorrow.

The eight districts are: Kasargod, Pathanamthitta, Kozhikode, Thrissur, Kannur, Malappuram, Ernakulam and Wayanad.

Landslide prediction mechanism, safe structures needed urgently in highly vulnerable Kerala: Experts

Scientists and experts on Tuesday called for a landslide prediction mechanism and construction of safe structures for the vulnerable population after over a hundred people were killed in a series of landslides in Kerala.

Madhavan Rajeevan, former secretary of the Union Earth Sciences Ministry, said weather agencies can predict extremely heavy rainfall events, but whether that would trigger a landslide cannot be said with certainty.

"Heavy rainfall does not lead to landslides every time. We need a separate mechanism for landslide prediction. It is difficult but doable," Rajeevan told PTI.

The conditions that lead to landslides, including soil texture, soil moisture and slope are known, and it is important to put all this knowledge into an operational system, he said.

"Unfortunately, we have not done that yet." "When a river is in spate, we shift people to safer places. We can do the same thing if there is heavy and continuous rainfall. We have good science and good capability; we just have to convert that into practice," Rajeevan said.

Sreekumar, a disaster risk management expert at the Kerala Institute of Local Administration, told PTI that rainfall above 120 mm for two to three days is enough to trigger landslides in the fragile terrain of the southern coastal state.

"There are many landslide-prone areas in Wayanad. The only thing we can do is move people to safer areas. The authorities should build monsoon houses for people living in such areas," Sreekumar said.

130 more soldiers heading to Wayanad: Defence PRO

Around 130 soldiers are moving ahead towards Wayanad. Most of them will be airlifted by Indian Air Force aircraft and the rest will be proceeding on the road...Defence Security Corps Centre Kannur with its 200 soldiers have already gone there and the Territorial Army 122 infantry battalion Madras, they are also there...It seems Ward Number 10 is in a really bad shape and they have been doing their best: Defence PRO Sudha S Namboothiri