Wayanad landslides: Rescue teams race against time as over 200 still missing

Over 200 people are still reported missing as rescue operations in landslide-hit Kerala’s Wayanad areas entered fifth day on Saturday.
Around 308 people have been reported death in the incident. Whereas, eighty-one people are under treatment in various hospitals.
 
— Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said that search and rescue operations in Wayanad are in their final stages.
— There is difficulty in identifying the dead bodies and parts recovered from the Chaliyar river, said CM.
— As many as 148 bodies have been handed over so far. There are 206 people missing.
— 67 bodies are yet to be identified, and the panchayats will do the last rites.
— Education minister will visit the schools destroyed in the region, and the education department will take the necessary steps to ensure that the studies of the disaster-struck children will continue.
— Search operations are continuing, involving 1,419 personnel from the Fire Force, NDRF, Forest Department, Police, Indian Army, and volunteers from Tamil Nadu.
— K-9 squads and the Tamil Nadu Medical Team are also participating, the chief minister said, adding that advanced equipment like Human Rescue Radar and drone-based radar are also being used.
Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah announced that in light of the tragic landslide in Wayanad, Karnataka will construct 100 houses for victims.
“I have assured CM Shri @pinarayivijayan of our support and announced that Karnataka will construct 100 houses for the victims. Together, we will rebuild and restore hope,” Siddaramaiah said in a post on X.
Congress party has also announced to construct 100 houses for the survivors.
Actor Mohanlal, who is also a Lieutenant Colonel in the Indian Territorial Army, visited landslide-hit Wayanad, and pledged ₹three crore for the rehabilitation works. The actor, donning his army uniform, reached the Army camp at Meppadi, held a brief discussion with the officers. He visited Chooralmala, Mundakkai and Punchirimattom, among other places.
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan contributed ₹1 lakh to the Chief Minister’s Distress Relief Fund (CMDRF) and his wife TK Kamala contributed ₹33,000, as per the CM’s office.MLAs of the ruling Communist Party of India (Marxist) in Kerala will donate one month’s salary- ₹50,000- as a contribution to the CMDRF.
The state government has formed a ‘Help for Wayanad Cell’ to coordinate the various offers from the global community to provide land and to build houses as part of the rehabilitation process.
Joint Land Revenue Commissioner A Geetha IAS will coordinate the offers and head the cell.
“An email ID ([email protected]) and a call centre with dedicated phone numbers (9188940013, 9188940014, 9188940015) have been created for donor communication,” the chief minister said.