• Wayanad landslides: Search ops enters Day 6; death toll crosses 350, over 200 still missing

    National
    Wayanad landslides: Search ops enters Day 6; death toll crosses 350, over 200 still missing
    The people of Wayanad are facing a difficult journey ahead, navigating the deep impacts of this tragedy...

    Digital Desk: Search and rescue operations resumed in Wayanad, Kerala on Sunday morning following devastating landslides that struck the district earlier in the week. The Indian Army, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), Kerala Fire and Rescue Services, police, and other agencies worked tirelessly to locate those missing. By Saturday night, authorities had confirmed 357 fatalities, with at least 206 individuals still unaccounted for in the hardest-hit Mundakkai and Chooralmala regions.

    The landslides, which occurred on Tuesday, have wreaked havoc, destroying 1,208 homes and rendering 3,700 acres of agricultural land unusable. The estimated damage amounts to Rs 21.11 crore.

    The destruction included 540 houses in Mundakkai, 600 in Chooralmala, and 68 in Attamala. Despite the massive scale of the disaster, the Army has managed to restore connectivity in the Punchirimattam area, where the landslides originated.

    Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has announced strategies to establish a new township in a safer location to aid recovery. Additionally, he assured that the Education Minister would visit the affected schools to ensure that educational activities continue smoothly.

    As recovery efforts intensify, the situation remains critical. The people of Wayanad are facing a difficult journey ahead, navigating the deep impacts of this tragedy while hoping for a swift and effective resolution.