Wayanad landslide toll rises over 290; heavy machinery urged to uncover trapped victims

Kalpetta: With search operations underway in calamity-ravaged Mundakkai in Wayanad district, ravaged by multiple landslides killing over 290 people, rescue operators say that heavy machinery is required to remove the huge trees uprooted in the landslides that buried several houses.

"We are standing on the terrace of a building, and a smell is emanating from underneath, indicating the presence of dead bodies. The building is fully covered with mud and uprooted trees," a rescue operator told the media.

He said that excavators (Hitachis) are available for the operations, but they are insufficient for the task.

"Heavy machinery is required to remove the huge trees and carry out search operations in the collapsed buildings. Only then can we make progress in the search operations," he added.

Wayanad district is grappling with a mounting crisis as the landslide death toll is over 280 with hundreds injured. The authorities warn of a potential surge in fatalities as rescue efforts uncover additional debris and buried victims. The Kerala Revenue Department, however, officially confirmed 167 deaths. 

Meanwhile, Health Minister Veena George said that 154 dead bodies have been handed over to the district administration. Post-mortem examinations were completed on 256 bodies. She further said that genetic samples of the body parts were also taken.  The Army recovered over 80 bodies and rescued nearly 1,000 people. 

A total of 219 people were taken to hospitals from the disaster site. Of these, 78 were still receiving treatment, while 142 were transferred to camps after initial care. Currently, 73 individuals were being treated in Wayanad and 5 in Malappuram.

Following the landslide, 1,386 people, including those stranded and trapped in their homes, were rescued. The Air Force conducted aerial reconnaissance to aid in the coordination of search and rescue efforts.

The landslides struck between 2 am and 4.10 am on Tuesday, catching many residents off guard while they were asleep, leading to the high casualty count.
On Tuesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced an ex-gratia payment of Rs 2 lakh for the next of kin of those who died in the landslides. "The Prime Minister has announced an ex-gratia of

Rs 2 lakh from Prime Minister's National Relief Fund (PMNRF) for the next of kin of each deceased in the landslides in parts of Wayanad," the PM's office stated in a post on X. The post further mentioned that the injured would receive Rs 50,000. 
(with inputs from agencies)