Search for Wayanad landslide victims: Rescue personnel buckle up for challenging terrain

Meppadi: Authorities have intensified efforts to locate missing persons from the Wayanad landslide, concentrating on the route through which the debris was carried away. The joint team, comprising the Army and the NDRF, has updated its strategy following initial searches amid the building debris, as no bodies have yet been found.

The search operation now extends from Soochipara Waterfalls to Pothukal, covering treacherous terrain with three waterfalls to navigate. Beginning at Punchiri Mattam and moving downward, this special mission is overseen by the Forest Department. Should any bodies be discovered, they cannot be transported by road and will require airlifting.

The team is expected to reach Pothukal by the afternoon. Due to the hazardous conditions, climbing experts are included in the team.

In the third phase of the search, additional bodies were recovered from the Chaliyar River. Approximately two hundred bodies remain to be located. Volunteers have been assisting in the search efforts. This joint operation marks the first coordinated effort of its kind.

Meanwhile, as of Monday, travel restrictions have been enforced in the Mundakkai and Chooralmala areas, which were severely impacted by the recent landslides in Wayanad. Only 1,500 persons will be permitted to cross the Bailey Bridge, the sole access point to the region severed by road collapse, between 6 a.m. and 9 p.m. daily.

In Chooralmala, eight Hitachi machines have been deployed to remove debris from collapsed houses and large rocks as part of the search operation, which also employs drones. A team of experts is further examining the riverbeds and the Soochipara Waterfalls.