Coast Guard to scout Chaliyar river; Search will be extended to Kozhikode, says ADGP

Kalpetta: The search operation in the Chaliyar River, where bodies and body parts have been found following the Wayanad landslide, is being intensified. The Coast Guard will now participate in the search, expanding efforts to Kozhikode district, where the river terminates. The Additional Director General of Police (ADGP) M. R. Ajith Kumar informed Mathrubhumi News that officers from various police stations are conducting extensive searches to locate the victims' bodies in and around the Chaliyar River and across Kozhikode. He shared these details during a visit to the disaster-affected areas of Chooralmala.

The army is focusing its efforts on the landslide-affected regions, while the local police, fire brigade, and rescue workers are conducting searches in Malappuram. The Coast Guard has also joined the search efforts on-site. Meanwhile, a significant search operation is ongoing at Punchiri Mattam, another landslide-hit area. Rescue teams are meticulously removing soil using earthmoving machinery to recover bodies.

Around 40 teams, including the Army, NDRF, and Coast Guard, are involved in the disaster area search. On Thursday, search operations were concentrated in the areas above Mundakkai Junction and below Punchiri Mattam. Inspections will continue upwards on Friday, with cadaver dogs aiding the search efforts.

Rescue workers suggest that bodies are likely to be found near the Vellarimala Village Office, where numerous trees have fallen. Previously, over 30 bodies were discovered near the village office. The search will also extend to the area opposite the village office on Attamala Road, which has been inaccessible to earthmoving machines until now. With the arrival of the Bailey Bridge, mechanized searches can commence in earnest.