Wayanad landslide LIVE | 125 dead, many feared trapped under debris; rescue underway
The first landslide reportedly struck Mundakkai Town around 1 am, while the second one struck 3 hours later, at Chooraal Mala School, which was serving as a camp
At least 125 people have been killed massive landslides triggered by heavy rains in Wayanad on Tuesday (July 30) while hundreds are trapped beneath the debris, sparking fears of mounting fatalities, even as rescue agencies were racing against time to pull out any survivors.
Rescue teams comprising the Army, Navy, and NDRF are collectively looking for survivors amid rough weather and multiple agencies are working in tandem to provide critical assistance to those affected.
According to a senior government source, heavy rains triggered a series of massive landslides in hilly areas of Meppadi in the district.
The dead includes women and children. The bodies of the deceased are being taken to various hospital morgues for identification and autopsy.
Mundakkai, Chooralmala, Attamala, and Noolpuzha villages were among the areas affected and cut off by the landslides.
In a bid to rapidly evacuate stranded persons, two Indian Air Force helicopters from Air Force Station Sulur have been dispatched to the affected area.
Follow this space for more live updates:
Live Updates
- 30 July 2024 9:11 AM GMT
Team of 5 ministers assigned to oversee relief efforts: Kerala CM
A delegation of five ministers has been assigned in Wayanad to address the aftermath of the recent landslide and oversee ongoing relief efforts. Forest Minister A.K. Saseendran has already reached the affected area to assess the damage and coordinate immediate response measures. Minister Ramachandran Kadannappalli is expected to arrive shortly to join the efforts on the ground. In addition, the Ministers of Revenue, Public Works, and Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes Departments are travelling by air from Thiruvananthapuram and will be arriving soon: Kerala CM
- 30 July 2024 9:10 AM GMT
Karnataka will provide all necessary assistance to Kerala: Siddaramaiah
It was heartbreaking to hear the news that more than 70 people have died in the landslide accident in Kerala and many have gone missing. We are going to stand with the people of neighboring Kerala in such a difficult time. Our government will provide all necessary assistance to Kerala: Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah on X
- 30 July 2024 9:06 AM GMT
A landslide in the Vilangad area of Kozhikode district has left one person missing. Search operations led by NDRF are ongoing. The landslide destroyed the Malayangad bridge and partially damaged four houses along the riverbank. As a result, 15 families are isolated, though no casualties have been reported. Residents along the riverbanks have been relocated: Information & Public Relations Department, Kerala
- 30 July 2024 8:33 AM GMT
Temporary hospital facilities to be established at mosque, madrasa in Chooralmala
Temporary hospital facilities will be established at a mosque and madrasa in Chooralmala, Wayanad, to aid in the ongoing relief efforts: Kerala Health Minister's Office
- 30 July 2024 8:14 AM GMT
#WATCH | Delhi: On Kerala Wayanad landslide, Congress MP KC Venugopal says, "It is a very sad incident...Wayanad terrain is different and the weather is also not very good. We have been monitoring the situation since morning. LoP spoke to the Kerala Chief Minister and Defence… pic.twitter.com/vaOlDVQoPb
— ANI (@ANI) July 30, 2024 - 30 July 2024 8:13 AM GMT
Kerala Health Minister orders tracking of hospital beds in affected areas
"In response to the landslide in Wayanad, Kerala Health Minister Veena George visited the Health Department Directorate to assess the ongoing arrangements. She provided a detailed overview of the situation and instructed for precise tracking of available hospital beds in the affected areas. Minister George recommended setting up temporary hospitals if necessary and emphasized the need to evaluate the mortuary systems at existing hospitals, including the utilisation of mobile mortuaries," said a statement issued by the Kerala Health Minister's Office.
- 30 July 2024 8:03 AM GMT
Emergency services, armed forces pressed into rescue operations
Rescue efforts are currently underway at Wayanad, with NDRF and other emergency services as well as the Army racing against time to reach trapped and injured survivors.
Rescue teams are working tirelessly to evacuate those stranded or trapped under debris and search for those missing in the landslides, with the Indian Army joining the efforts.
A Defence PRO said on Tuesday that a team of 43 personnel, led by the Second-in-Command from the 122 Infantry Battalion (TA) MADRAS, has been mobilised to aid in the ongoing rescue efforts.
The team, comprising a Medical Officer, two Junior Commissioned Officers (JCOs), and 40 soldiers, is equipped to provide critical assistance in the affected area.
Besides that, the Army's engineering group will also reach Wayanad immediately for rescue and related operations in the landslide-hit areas, the district administration said.
Two Air Force helicopters departed for Wayand from Sulur in Tamil Nadu in the morning.
Additionally, 67 Defence Security Corps (DSC) personnel, led by six officers, left for Wayanad from Kannur in two KSRTC buses with an ambulance and two truck loads of equipment, authorities said.
Also, a naval team from the Ezhimala Naval Academy will also reach Wayanad to join the rescue efforts as per the request of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, the CMO said.
It further said that the CM suggested the use of drones and police dogs for rescue operations.
From Kozhikode, a Territorial Army battalion and their medical team also left for Wayanad, it added.
State Forest Minister A K Saseendran reached the district and met with the injured admitted in various hospitals.
Vijayan's OSD S Karthikeyan was tasked with coordinating the rescue operations, the CM's office said in a statement.
