Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan held a meeting on Wednesday morning to review the rescue operations in Wayanad district, which was affected by landslides on July 30. The Kerala Revenue Department reported that the death toll from the landslides in Meppadi, a hilly area of Wayanad, has risen to 224.
Chief Minister Vijayan convened the meeting at the Disaster Management Authority office in Thiruvananthapuram to assess the ongoing rescue efforts. Following a cabinet decision, he is scheduled to visit Wayanad on the morning of August 1 to participate in a state-level all-party meeting convened for that day.
Union Minister George Kurian visited the affected areas this morning to assess the situation and meet survivors at relief camps. A delegation of nine state ministers is currently in Wayanad evaluating the relief camps.
Kerala Chief Secretary V. Venu informed reporters that the National Disaster Management Authority is considering using ground-penetrating radar mounted on drones for search operations.
A total of 1,200 rescue workers from the Indian Army, DSC Centre, Territorial Army, NDRF, Indian Navy, and IAF are deployed in the disaster-hit areas. Army, Air Force, and Navy teams are working alongside NDRF personnel, police, and firefighters in the rescue efforts.
Chief Secretary Venu highlighted that a large team of rescue workers is combing through Mundakkai and surrounding regions to find survivors and bodies. The challenge is complicated by mutilated bodies found downstream and the flattened state of Mundakkai due to landslides.
“The major challenge is accessing collapsed houses, requiring heavy equipment. Currently, we are unable to transport this equipment across the river, but we hope the Bailey Bridge being built by the Indian Army will be completed by tomorrow,” Venu said.
He also mentioned that bodies may be buried under mud and that all injured individuals from Mundakkai have been evacuated. The Chief Secretary expressed gratitude for the support from all government agencies.
Navy teams from the Ezhimala Naval Base arrived in Chooralmala this morning, and an Army canine unit has joined the search for bodies buried under debris. The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) is actively involved in rescue and relief operations, with teams from Kochi and Beypore providing aid.
Hundreds of people remain missing in the aftermath, with Mundakkai and Chooralmala being the most affected. Attamala and Noolpuzha villages were also impacted.
Chief Minister Vijayan announced that 45 relief camps have been set up in Wayanad, housing over 3,000 people.
Kerala Leader of the Opposition, V.D. Satheesan, emphasized the importance of continuing rescue operations. He commended the efforts of the military and NDRF, anticipated more casualties, and stressed the need for temporary housing support for the displaced.
Satheesan added that local MLAs and Panchayats are offering support and that the government should provide house rent assistance to displaced individuals. These issues will be addressed in the all-party meeting tomorrow.
In addition, based on inputs from the Kerala Government, forest officials, and villagers, a team from the 122 Infantry Battalion (TA) Madras, led by Sub Gijil, Sub Jayesh, and Nb Sub Anilkumar, along with 12 jawans, rescued 19 civilians stranded in ElaResort and VanaRani Resort beyond Mundakai village, according to the Defence PRO for Kerala.
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