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.
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Live Updates
- 30 July 2024 11:40 AM IST
Toll goes up to 47
Death toll goes up to 47, with 36 bodies at Meppady hospitals and 11 retrieved from Chaliyar river in Malappuram district - 30 July 2024 11:36 AM IST
NDRF evacuates 74
One National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) team has arrived at the Wayanad landslide site, with three more teams on the way. So far, they have evacuated 74 people, recovered 16 bodies, and rescued one person alive. This is the current status from Wayanad: NDRF DG Piyush Anand - 30 July 2024 11:33 AM IST
101 rescued so far
Teams of NDRF, Fire, Police and Revenue department are on the ground. Around 101 people rescued till now. Shelter camp set up at Bathery St Mary’s SKMJ School in Kalpetta. Medical teams and ambulances are present and food and clothing are also arranged. There is a requirement for earth excavators: Kerala Revenue Minister K Rajan's office - 30 July 2024 11:22 AM IST
Control Room opened at Chooralmala
A taluk-level IRS control room has been made operational at Churalmala.Control Room NumbersDeputy Collector - 8547616025Tahsildar Vythiri - 8547616601Kalpetta Joint B.D.O Office - 9961289892Assistant Motor Vehicle Inspector - 9383405093Fire and Rescue Services Assistant Station Officer - 9497920271Vythiri Taluk Office Deputy Tahsildar - 9447350688 - 30 July 2024 11:17 AM IST
Desperate calls for help
Frantic phone calls were made by people desperately pleading for help after being trapped under destroyed houses and piles of debris as landslides rocked the high-range hamlets of Kerala’s Wayanad district in the early hours of Tuesday.
Television channels aired phone conversations of several people crying and requesting someone to come and rescue them as they were either trapped in their houses or had no way to travel as bridges had been washed away and the roads were flooded.
In one such conversation, a woman, apparently a native of Chooralmala town, was heard crying aloud, saying that someone in her house was trapped under the marsh and debris and could not be pulled out.
“Someone, please come and help us. We have lost our house. We don't know whether Nausheen (apparently a family member) is alive. She is trapped in the marsh. Our house is in the town itself...,” the woman could be heard saying.
A man, another native of Chooralmala, said in a phone conversation that the place was still shaking and they didn’t know what to do.
“The earth is shaking. There is a huge noise in the place. We have no way to come from Chooralmala,” he said.
Another man, in a phone call, alerted that a large number of people were trapped under mud and battling for life in Mundakkai.
“If someone can come here by vehicle from the Meppadi area, we can save the lives of hundreds of people,” he said.
An elderly man with injuries told a television channel that his wife was missing and he did not know where she was.
“We were sleeping in the house. Suddenly, a loud noise was heard, and huge boulders and trees were seen suddenly falling down on the roof of our house. Flood water entered the premises, destroying the shutters in front of the house,” he said.
He also said someone had rescued him and shifted him to hospital, but his wife was missing.
- 30 July 2024 11:12 AM IST
Drones and police dogs to be used
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has directed police drones to be deployed for search operations. The dog squad will also be involved in the rescue operations: CMO