Wayanad: death toll touches 288! Likely to rise; 240 missing

Wayanad: The latest updated death toll in deadly landslides in Kerala’s Wayanad has reached 288 on Thursday, while 240 people are believed to be missing. Since this much is missing, the death toll is expected to increase dearly.

Due to heavy rains, the rescue operation in the region was temporarily stopped. Adverse weather conditions, building debris, boulders, and soil accumulation keep rescue operations difficult.

Authorities are seeking the help of drones and other technologies as hundreds of bodies are yet to be found. Those affected, rescued and evacuated have been relocated to 82 relief camps. Meanwhile, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and Lok Sabha Opposition Leader Rahul Gandhi visited Wayanad and assessed the situation. A review meeting and an all-party meeting were held at the collectorate under the leadership of the Vijayan.

The CM said that the army had informed that all the survivors had been rescued in Mundakai. The search will begin on Friday to find the bodies lying underground. It is planned to conduct an inspection using drones in the affected area, like how a search was performed in Shiroor, where a Keralite trucker was believed to have been swept away by a landslide in Karnataka. Utilizing drones could help find buried victims, which is inevitable, according to authorities.

Meanwhile, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee extended her heart-felt condolences to the families of the victims of the disaster on Thursday. She said that two Trinamool Congress (her party) MPs, Saket Gokhale and Sushmita Dev, will travel to Kerala and visit the affected areas. They will provide assistance and support to the families of the impacted.

In a post on X, she said, “We are greatly perturbed by the news of the Wayanad landslides in Kerala. It is really a grave disaster. On humanitarian grounds, we are sending a team of two of our MPs, Saket Gokhale & Sushmita Dev, to visit the affected areas.”