Team News Riveting
Wayanad, July 30
Three devastating landslides over a span of 4 hours created havoc in Kerala’s Wayanad early Tuesday morning killing at least 56 people and trapping hundreds other.
The death toll is likely to increase alarmingly as hundreds are trapped while rescue operation cannot be launched in full scale following inclement weather. Around 700 persons are stuck in the estate bungalow of the Harissons Malayalam estate while 100 people are stuck in the Tree Valley Resort in Mundakkai. Those trapped include foreign as well as Indian tourists.
The Two helicopters deployed from Sulur by the Indian Air Force could not land in Mundakkai due to adverse weather. A team of Navy officials from the Indian Naval academy, Ezhimala will arrive in Wayanad for rescue operations.
The areas that have been badly hit include Meppadi, Chooralmala, Vythiri and Mundakkai. The rescuers are facing obstacles as Mundakkai, where one of the big landslides happened. The area has been cut off from the rest of the district after the only bridge to the area was swept away in the landslide.
Wayand is a hilly region dotted by tea estates. The estate workers live in houses called ‘layams’ on the hills. Many of the layams were destroyed in the rains, while others have simply been devastated by landslides, trapping and killing the residents.
According to police, the landslides happened between 2 am and 6 am on Tuesday. However, rescuers, including from the NDRF, found it difficult to reach Mundakkai as the Chooral Mala bridge and Mundakkai bridge- the two bridges that connect the Mundakai areas were completely destroyed. The NDRF is currently attempting to reach Mundakkai by crossing the river with the help of other equipment.
The hospital in Mundakkai has been fully swept away. The medicines and first aid can be taken to those stuck there only after rescue teams get access to the spot.
The Southern Railway has announced several scheduling changes for train travel in Kerala, including full and partial cancellation of trains due to heavy waterlogging in the railway tracks between Vallathol Nagar and Wadakkanchery in Thrissur district, in the wake of the torrential rain in the state. Among 17 trains, three have been rescheduled, four have been fully cancelled, and 10 have been partially cancelled.
The Air Force has launched ALH and MI17 helicopters, with two Sarang helicopters spearheading the initial response. The rescue team, including seasoned Group Captain Prashant, who previously led flood relief operations, will establish a base at the SKMJ School ground in Kalpetta. The Army’s primary focus will be on providing aid, including airlifts, to the severely affected areas of Mundakkai and Chooral Mala in Wayanad.
The Defence Ministry earlier issued a statement on the ongoing rescue operations in Wayanad.
“Based on a requisition received from Kerala Government this morning for rescue of approximately 250 persons likely to be stranded in a major land slide in Meppadi Panchayath, Vyithiri Taluk, Wayanad, District in Kerala, two rescue columns of Indian Army with a strength of approximately 200 soldiers from Defence Security Corps (DSC) Centre, Kannur along with medical team from Military Hospital Kannur and troops from Territorial Army from Kozhikode has been deployed,” the statement read.
