NEW DELHI: In a heart-wrenching catastrophe, at least 158 lives were lost, and over 180 people were injured as massive landslides ravaged the hilly terrains near Meppadi in Wayanad. According to government reports, over 100 individuals are feared to be trapped under the rubble as multiple rescue agencies and the Army scramble to rescue as many survivors as possible.
The tragedy unfolded on July 30 when three devastating landslides struck Wayanad within four hours amid relentless rainfall. The affected areas—Mundakkai, Chooralmala, Attamala, and Noolpuzha villages—were left in ruins, with several residents being swept away by the raging Chaliyar River. In response to the disaster, 45 relief camps have been set up in Wayanad, providing shelter to 3,069 displaced individuals.
District authorities in Wayanad have initiated efforts to compile a list of the missing people by cross-referencing ration card details and other government records. Meanwhile, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has declared a two-day state mourning and will be meeting with senior officials and ministers in Wayanad to assess the ongoing rescue efforts.
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Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin has announced assistance of Rs 5 crore to the Kerala government, while the Prime Minister’s Office has announced a compensation of Rs 2 lakh for the families of the deceased.
Rescue operations entered their second day with units from the Army, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), and other emergency services meticulously searching through the wreckage of collapsed structures in hopes of finding survivors.
A total of 225 Army personnel have been deployed to aid in the rescue mission. Additional Army contingents have been dispatched from Thiruvananthapuram and Bengaluru to support operations in Calicut. Notably, the Army successfully rescued over 1,000 individuals using a makeshift structure after a critical bridge linking Chooralmala and Mundakkai villages was washed away by the deluge.