Wayanad landslides: Death count rises to 172, many trapped; Army intensifies rescue efforts

The construction of a Bailey bridge to connect the landslide-hit areas, where several people are believed to be stranded, alongside the deployment of sniffer dogs and over 1,000 rescuers from Central and state emergency response teams conducting massive search operations, constitutes one of the largest rescue efforts in the Wayanad, devastated by a deadly calamity. Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Wednesday said that the coordinated and extensive rescue operations by the NDRF, Army, and other agencies ensured that over 1,500 people were saved from the landslide-hit areas of Wayanad district, where as many as 167 people died and 191 are still missing.

The Centre had forewarned the Kerala government about possible floods and landslides but it ignored these warnings, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said on Wednesday in Parliament, prompting a sharp response from state chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan, who refuted his remarks as "baseless" and "inconsistent". Shah said that multiple "advance warnings" were given to the Kerala government before the tragedy on July 30. At least 167 people have died and over 200 injured in the massive landslides that hit the northern Kerala district of Wayanad on Wednesday.

Search and rescue operations continue at landslide-affected Chooralmala in Wayanad. ​

As rains continued to lash various parts of Wayanad, the authorities on Wednesday directed people living in landslide-prone areas of the hill district to move to safer places at the earliest. People living in landslide prone areas and in places that have experienced landslides in previous years should be cautious, district Collector DR Meghasree said. In a statement, she mentioned places like Kurumbalakotta, Lakkidi, Manikunnumala, Sugandhagiri, and so on, and urged people there to exercise extra vigil.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is continuously monitoring the situation in Kerala's Wayanad district in the aftermath of the landslides and all possible help is being extended to the state by the Centre, the government told the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday. Replying to the Calling Attention Motion on the Wayanad landslide tragedy, Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai said: "I am stating with sadness, that whatever information has been made available so far, rescue workers have taken out 133 bodies so far. The casualties may rise further." He shared that as soon as news of the unfortunate landslides incident reached the prime minister and the home minister, from that time itself in the morning, all the people pro-actively extended whatever help was possible by the Centre.

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Wednesday refuted Union Home Minister Amit Shah's claim that the state government was warned as early as July 23 regarding a possible natural calamity in Wayanad due to heavy rains. Vijayan said that the India Meteorological Department (IMD) had only issued an orange alert in the district ahead of the landslides. However, the district received over 500 millimeters of rainfall, which was extremely higher than what was predicted by the IMD.

Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday asserted that advance warnings on heavy rainfall in Kerala were issued to the state government at least a week ahead of the deadly landslides in Wayanad that have left a trail of death and destruction. Replying to a discussion on the Calling Attention Motion in the Lok Sabha, he said the Centre had sent eight teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) on July 23 to assist the Kerala government in any eventuality of a disaster. "When the landslides struck Wayanad, the NDRF teams got the green signal from the collector and relief operations were launched immediately," the Home Minister said.

The Central government is extending all possible help for relief and rescue works in landslides-hit Wayanad in Kerala, with Union minister George Kurien being present on ground zero, officials said here on Wednesday. The tragic incident, which has claimed at least 132 lives, was debated in Parliament, as Home Minister Amit Shah in the Rajya Sabha accused the Kerala government of not heeding the advance warning of a possible natural calamity. Government sources said Kurien has visited relief camps and coordinating efforts to help the large number of families displaced due to the landslides. Kurien is one of the two Union ministers from Kerala, a state where the BJP won its maiden Lok Sabha seat in the recent polls.

Regarding the NDRF team, the state has requested the team well in advance and one team was stationed at Wayanad. Here, we issued alerts and evaluated people from red zones. We took up this precaution well in advance. The accident spot is 5-6 km far from the epicenter and nobody expects a tragedy there. This is not to pin the blame on anyone. We need to work together to mitigate climate change and handle situations like this.

Adani Group Chairman, Gautam Adani tweets, "We humbly extend our support with a contribution of Rs 5 Cr to the Kerala Chief Minister's Distress Relief Fund. Deeply saddened by the tragic loss of life in Wayanad. The Adani Group stands in solidarity with Kerala during this difficult time."

Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday urged the government to extend all possible help to the people of landslides-hit Wayanad and look into the "ecological issue" there. He also urged the Centre to come up with a high-tech solution for preventing such tragedies in the future. Speaking during the Calling Attention Motion over the loss of lives and property due to landslides and floods in various parts of the country, Gandhi said a "huge tragedy" had taken place in Kerala's Wayanad.

Two Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) columns, including two medical teams, were airlifted from Trivandrum to Kozhikode by AN32 and C-130 aircraft. They arrived at Kozhikode airport late Tuesday night and stayed overnight, the Army said. Movement of fuel and other administrative stores is planned by road, the officials said.

Military personnel intensified search and rescue operations in Kerala's Wayanad district, where landslides have claimed more than 100 lives, with the Army saying that it has recovered around 70 bodies and rescued nearly 1,000 people so far. Extremely heavy rain triggered the landslides in the hilly areas of Wayanad early Tuesday, leaving at least 132 people dead and more than 200 injured. Four columns from the Defence Security Corps Centre, Kannur, and 122 TA Battalion are conducting combined rescue operations along with the National Disaster Response Force and state rescue teams, a senior Army official said. Around 70 bodies have been recovered by the Army so far and approximately 1,000 people have been rescued, the official said.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah said the Kerala government was warned as early as July 23 regarding a possible natural calamity in Wayanad due to heavy rains and nine NDRF teams were rushed to the state the same day. However, the Kerala government did not heed to the early warning and also did not get alerted even by arrival of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) battalions, Shah said in the Rajya Sabha.

Shah assured the House that the Narendra Modi government was standing a like a "rock" with the Kerala government and people of the state in this moment of the tragedy. He also promised all help from the central government.

Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah said, "This is a very heinous tragedy, the fact that Kannadigas lost their lives in this tragedy made it even more painful. The deceased Kannadigas will be given a compensation of Rs.5 lakh each. Already, two senior IAS officers of the state, NDRF team and Army teams are busy in rescue work. Today Minister Santosh Lad is being sent to Wayanad to take charge of defense work. Saving lives of the victims is our first priority and our government is working hard to bring the Kannadigas in distress safely to Nadi."

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is closely monitoring the landslide situation in Kerala's Wayanad district, Union Minister George Kurian said. Kurian, who visited the people affected by the landslide in Wayanad on Tuesday night, said that the central government has assured all possible assistance to the state for the rescue efforts of those affected by the tragedy. "The situation is being monitored by the central government at the highest level. The Honourable Prime Minister is monitoring the situation and has deputed me to visit the affected areas.

IMD issues 'Orange' alert in Malappuram, Kozhikode, Wayanad, Kannur, and Kasaragod districts. 

Based on the request from the Kerala State Disaster Management Authority (KSDMA), the Southern Naval Command dispatched a disaster relief team of 68 personnel from INS Zamorin at Ezhimala to the landslide-affected site at 1430 hours on 30th July. The rescue team comprising skilled personnel along with medical team and necessary equipment reached the site at 2200h on 30th July. Additional teams have been kept standby for deployment at short notice and will be mobilised as required. 

 Search and rescue operations continue at landslide-affected Chooralmala in Wayanad. At the moment, 1200 rescue workers from Indian Army, DSC centre, Territorial Army, NDRF, Indian Navy and the IAF are deployed here. 

West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose said, " I had an opportunity to visit the relief camps and talk in detail to the victims who are staying there...this is one of the worst calamities that happened recently...I spoke to CM of Kerala, brought the issues to the notice of PM and Defence Minister. PM is fully committed to doing whatever is required for the rescue and relief operations...we are with the victims..."

Indian Coast Guard is actively engaged in the rescue and relief operations for those affected by the landslide in Wayanad. ICG Disaster Relief Team Kochi & Beypore are on the ground, providing aid and support.

Kerala LoP VD Satheesan said, "The first priority is to carry out the rescue operations. The military and the NDRF are doing very well...We expect more casualties...It will take time to build the houses again now. The local MLAs and Panchayats are providing all support. We have demanded from the government that all displaced persons should be provided house rent as they don't have a house now. We will raise all these issues in the all-party meeting tomorrow. We are with the government to overcome this situation... "

Death toll in Wayanad landslides rises to 158, said the State Revenue Department.

Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan said, "This is a colossal tragedy. Whatever is possible to be done is being done by the agencies... the state agencies, defence forces, Army, Navy, Air Force, all agencies are involved. Our heart goes out to the people.  I have decided, if possible, I will visit the areas, particularly the relief camps. I would like to endorse what our CM said that Kerala, even earlier in 2018, 2019 when it was hit by heavy floods, the people of Kerala stood to the occasion, and they had come forward... to deal with this kind of massive tragedy we need help from every side."

Union Minister George Kurien took stock of the area where landslides occurred yesterday and met the victims at the relief camps.

Kerala Ministers assess the rescue operations in Wayanad. The death toll stands at 148 currently. 

Congress MPs observed a moment of silence for the lives lost in Wayanad landslides tragedy during the Congress Parliamentary Party Meeting at Parliament's Samvidhan Sadan. 

Brigadier Arjun Segan said, "We had this incident at around 2-2.30 am night before last... The rescue operations have been ongoing since yesterday morning. Yesterday we were hampered because of the adverse weather conditions. It is much better today... It's not raining. We have about 500 to 600 rescuers inside from the army, NDRF, Navy, state police and forest department, as well as local volunteers... We are trying to get this bridge which has been washed away... We are trying to get it up as early as possible so that we can move engineer and earth-moving equipment and make our rescue effort more efficient. Currently, we are using manual digging tools into the rubble... As of this morning, the fatal figure crossed 150... A large number have also been rescued alive and who have been evacuated safely... More people are moving in. There are sniffer dogs, better-bridging equipment, columns, and medical teams, coming in. We are ready for what is going to come today and tomorrow..."

60 teams from Ezhimala Naval Academy reached Chooralmala for rescue operation. A team headed by Lt. Commandant Ashirvad has reached. There are 45 sailors, five officers, 6 fire guards and a doctor in the group, as per the Kerala PRD (Public Relations Department).

Kerala: Dog squad joins the search and rescue operations underway in Wayanad's Chooralmala.

Visuals from Wayanad's Chooralmala where the search and rescue operations are underway.

Rajya Sabha and Congress National President Mallikarjun Kharge said, "All of us have taken the situation in Wayanad very seriously. Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra are going to visit there. Party workers are involved in rehabilitation work. This is an unfortunate incident and it is a national disaster... We raised this issue in Rajya Sabha also. Rajya Sabha chairman and JP Nadda from the government have assured that there will be no stone would be left unturned in providing relief, medical assistance and compensation..."

Death toll climbs to 148, said State Revenue Department.

High Commissioner of Singapore to India Simon Wong said, "Deeply saddened by the loss of lives from the landslide in Wayanad, Kerala. Thoughts and prayers with everyone affected."

A new Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) column, comprising 3 officers, 4 junior commissioned officers (JCOs), 64 other ranks (ORs), and including a regimental medical officer (RMO), has been mobilised from a Gorkha Regiment Battalion in Bangalore to assist with flooding in Kollagal, Chamarajanagar. The column departed at 6:30 AM on July 31 and is anticipated to arrive at its destination, covering a distance of 157 km, by 10:30 am.

(Input: Manish Prasad)

The Indian Army continues to lead rescue operations in the wake of the devastating landslide in Wayanad, Kerala. The current status of operations as of 06:00 AM is as follows:

Status of Ongoing Rescue Operations:

• Combined Efforts: Four columns from DSC Centre, Kannur, and 122 TA Battalion are conducting combined rescue operations alongside NDRF and State rescue teams.
• Rescue and Recovery: Approximately 1,000 individuals have been rescued, and around 70 deceased individuals have been recovered.
• Engineer Task Force (ETF) Deployment: An advance party from MEG & Centre (strength: 01 officer, 01 JCO, 03 ORs) reached the site at 19:00 hours and is conducting reconnaissance on the Meppadi-Chooralmala Road to establish the requirement for bridge resources in the affected areas.
• Command and Coordination: Brigadier Arjun Seagan, Commandant of the PARA Regiment Training Centre, arrived with his team (strength: 02 officers, 04 JCOs, 24 ORs) at 23:00 hours. They conducted a reconnaissance of a potential bridge site and established a Control Centre for coordinating the Indian Army's HADR efforts, supported by the Commandant of the DSC Centre.

Status of Additional Columns and Allied Efforts:

• Airlifted HADR Columns: Two HADR columns, including two medical teams were airlifted from Trivandrum to Kozhikode by AN32 and C-130 aircraft (strength: 6 officers, 7 JCOs, 121 ORs). They arrived at Kozhikode airport at 23:00 hours and stayed overnight. Movement of fuel and other administrative stores is planned by road, with the columns set to move to their designated location at 06:30 hours to execute rescue operations.
• Engineer Task Force Equipment: The ETF from MEG & Centre (strength: 01 officer, 02 JCOs, 120 ORs), including one JCB and TATRA and one set of 110 feet T/S Bailey Bridge, reached the location at 03:00 hours. These resources will be deployed based on inputs from the advance party's detailed reconnaissance.
• Additional Bailey Bridges: Two additional sets of Bailey Bridges from MEG & Centre commenced movement by road at 05:00 hours.
• Airlift of Additional Resources: A C-17 aircraft carrying one set of Bailey Bridge from Engineers Stores Depot, Delhi Cantt and three Search and Rescue Dog Teams is being loaded at Delhi Airport with an estimated departure time of 07:00 hours.

Actions Planned for the Day:

• All six columns will execute rescue operations in conjunction with NDRF and Civil Administration.
• Construction of a bridge on the Meepadi - Chooralmala Road will commence, including the induction of certain earth-moving equipment to the other side of the stream utilizing air effort.
• An aerial reconnaissance by Brigadier Seagan and the ETF Commander is planned for 09:30 hours.
• Additional resource requirements will be assessed based on the aerial reconnaissance and the needs of the civil administration.

(Input: Manish Prasad)

Additional columns from Thiruvananthapuram which had halted at West Hill Barracks, Calicut moving out to flood-hit areas.

Visuals from WIMS Hospital in Wayanad where the people who were injured in the Landslide are undergoing treatment.

National flag at half-mast at Kerala Legislative Assembly, as two-day mourning being observed in the state.

The bodies of those who died in the landslides have been brought to the Primary Health Center in Meppadi, Wayanad. A total of 94 bodies were received there for post-mortem. Of these, 52 have been claimed by relatives, while 11 remain unidentified. Relatives continue to arrive at the center in search of their loved ones.

• Bodies Received: 94 bodies brought for post-mortem at Primary Health Center in Meppadi
• Post-mortems completed: 94
• Bodies Handed Over: 52 bodies returned to relatives
• Unidentified Bodies: 11 bodies remain unidentified

Heavy engineering equipment and other bridging equipment are being carried to the spot where rescue operations are currently underway.

Kerala: Relief and rescue operations are underway in Wayanad's Chooralmala after a landslide.

Pathanamthitta, Ernakulam, Idukki, Thrissur, Palakkad, Malappuram, Kozhikode, Wayanad, Kannur and Kasaragod district authorities have declared a holiday for all educational institutions including the professional colleges in view of the heavy rain prediction.

NDRF Commander Akhilesh Kumar said, "We rescued injured victims from Mundakkai village yesterday. We fear victims might be trapped in collapsed buildings... Till 10 pm last night, we rescued 70 people, after which we had to stop because of bad weather and rain. Since there are many teams working, we cannot give an exact number of deaths, because we only know about the dead bodies our team has recovered. People have been given shelter in a resort and a mosque on the other side of the river. Since rainfall is going on, there are chances of another landslide."

Search operations in the affected villages to rescue trapped people continues.

Kerala: Soldiers of the 122 Infantry Battalion of the Territorial Army preparing for the second day of rescue operations move out from their temporary shelter at local school to calamity-hit areas in Meppadi, Wayanad.

Wayanad Landslide: Updated Report

Death Toll and Casualties

• Death toll: 146
• Postmortems completed: 143 bodies

Missing Persons

• Official count: 98 missing

Estimates: The actual number of missing persons is believed to be higher than the official count.

Rescue efforts continue as authorities work tirelessly to locate and assist survivors amidst the devastation caused by the landslides.

(Input: T Raghvan)

The India Meteorological Department has issued a red alert for the mountain district of Wayanad and all northern districts of Kerala. This indicates extremely heavy rainfall is expected in these regions, with over 20 cm of rain anticipated within 24 hours. In addition to the red alert for Wayanad, Palakkad, Malappuram, Kozhikode, Kannur, Kasaragod, Idukki, and Thrissur, an orange alert was issued for Pathanamthitta, Alappuzha, Kottayam, and Ernakulam districts. The orange alert signifies very heavy rain, while a yellow alert, indicating heavy rain, was also issued. READ

Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi and Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra have postponed their visit to landslide-hit Wayanad owing to inclement weather conditions. The authorities have informed the Congress leaders that they would not be able to land due to incessant rain and adverse weather conditions. The Congress leaders said they would visit the district as soon as possible. READ