As search operations entered their fifth day on Saturday, rescue teams equipped with advanced technical gadgets and dogs continued to comb through the debris of the devastating Wayanad landslides, one of Kerala’s worst natural calamities.
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan offered a glimmer of hope in a Facebook post, stating that radars are detecting even slight movements.
Wayanad Landslides Latest Updates:
- Rising Death Toll: The number of bodies recovered from the Wayanad landslides has increased to 210. Meanwhile, 187 people have been discharged from hospitals, but around 300 individuals remain missing, with little hope of them being found alive.
- Miraculous Rescue: A family of four was rescued from an isolated house near Padavetti Kunnu on the fourth day of the deadly landslides, providing a beacon of hope for the hundreds of rescuers searching for survivors.
- Extensive Search Operations: Around 40 rescue teams, aided by cadaver dogs, are conducting search operations in six zones of the landslide-hit areas. The dogs are utilizing their keen sense of smell to locate survivors trapped under the rubble.
- Heroic Efforts: In a daring rescue operation, forest officers saved four toddlers and their parents from a tribal community. The team, led by Kalpetta Range Forest Officer K. Hashis, trekked deep into the forest to rescue the family.
- Technological Aid: An official involved in the operation reported receiving a “blue signal,” indicating potential signs of breath, while searching a house in the severely affected Mundakkai village. Unfortunately, the search concluded on Friday evening without finding any survivors.
- Weather Forecast: The India Meteorological Department has forecast a generally cloudy sky with occasional spells of rain or thundershowers for Wayanad on Saturday.
- International Condolences: U.S. President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden expressed their condolences, commending the bravery of Indian service members and first responders. “We mourn with the families who have lost loved ones and continue to hold the people of India in our thoughts during this difficult time,” said the White House.
- Environmental Measures: The Centre issued a draft notification to declare over 56,800 square kilometers of the Western Ghats, including 13 villages in Kerala’s Wayanad, as an Ecologically Sensitive Area (ESA). This notification came a day after the landslides claimed over 300 lives in Wayanad.
- Political Accusations: The Congress party accused the Centre of delaying the ‘ecologically sensitive area’ tag for a portion of the Western Ghats, claiming it is directly responsible for the human tragedy in Wayanad.
- Privilege Motion: Congress General Secretary Jairam Ramesh moved a Privilege Motion notice in the Rajya Sabha against Union Home Minister Amit Shah for his “Early Warning” claims regarding the Wayanad landslide. Ramesh asserted that Shah misled the Rajya Sabha with false statements on early warnings, constituting a breach of privilege and contempt of the house.