Extensive rescue operations in Wayanad as death toll reaches 167

The construction of a Bailey bridge to connect the landslidehit areas where several people are believed to be stranded alongside the deployment of sniffer dogs and over 1000 rescuers from Central and state emergency response teams conducting massive search operations constitutes one of the largest rescue efforts in the Wayanad after Kerala landslide devastated by a deadly calamityKerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Wednesday said that the coordinated and extensive rescue operations by the NDRF Army and other agencies ensured that over 1500 people were saved from the landslidehit areas of Wayanad district where as many as 167 people died and 191 are still missingVijayan said the scenes in the Mundakkai and Chooralmala areas of the district were devastating These areas have been completely destroyed he saidHe also said that efforts to rescue as many people as possible from the disaster zone are progressing wellTiny makeshift bridges were erected over swollen rivers and excavators were engaged nonstop in removing piles of debris and boulders as rescue missions continued in the landslidehit hamlets of WayanadRescue personnel from the Army NDRF state emergency services personnel and local people fought against the adverse weather conditions and tough terrain to look for people who might be trapped under the debris of destroyed homes mud and rocksIn the twoday rescue operation 1592 people were rescued This is the achievement of a coordinated and extensive mission to save so many people in a short span of time Vijayan said at a press conference hereHe said that in the first phase 206 people from 68 families in the nearby areas of the disaster were shifted to three camps This includes 75 men 88 women and 43 children the chief minister saidFollowing the landslide 1386 people who were stranded and those who were trapped in their homes were rescued as a result of the ongoing rescue missionThis includes 528 men 559 women and 299 children who were shifted to seven camps Two hundred and one people were rescued and taken to the hospital of whom 90 are currently undergoing treatment he saidVijayan said that in Wayanad district there are currently 8017 people in 82 relief camps This includes 19 pregnant womenThere are eight camps in Meppadi where 1486 people from 421 families are currently staying he saidHe said operations are underway to find bodies floating down the river to the adjoining Malappuram districtA team of 1167 personnel has been deployed for the rescue operation This includes 645 firefighters led by 10 station officers 94 NDRF personnel 167 District Sainik Welfare Centre personnel 153 personnel from the Madras Engineer Group and Coast Guard personnel who arrived on Tuesday Vijayan saidMeanwhile rescue teams comprising the Army Navy and NDRF are collectively looking for survivors by unearthing the debris and breaking into the remains of houses destroyed or covered with mud in the landslidesAccording to a Defence statement army units deployed in the area rescued around 1000 people from the affected areas until Tuesday nightAdditionally the Air Force is carrying out aerial reconnaissance of the affected areas to coordinate search and rescue operations and is using helicopters to airlift people stranded in various places in the landslide affected areasIn Mundakkai which was cut off from the rest of the district makeshift bridges and pulleys were erected over gushing rivers to transport people stranded there to safety and shift bodies recovered from destroyed homes to ambulancesAs the majority of houses were flattened rescuers broke open the roofs using hammers and pickaxes as heavy machinery could not be brought there due to lack of proper roads or bridges to enter the collapsed structures and search for any people trapped insideRescue agencies resumed their operations early in the morning to trace people suspected to be trapped following the landslides triggered by heavy rainsThe CM said that efforts were on to bring materials to build a 190footlong Bailey bridge to connect the worstaffected areas of Mundakkai and Chooralmala and intensify rescue operations thereThe bridge will be constructed by Thursday he saidBesides that sniffer dogs trained by the army to detect people buried under soil are also being brought there he further said adding that an intelligent buried object detection system will also be used for that purposeVijayan also called upon everyone to contribute to the Chief Ministers Disaster Relief Fund CMDRF in order to help those affected by the landslidesHe said that Lulu Group Chairman M A Yusuff Ali leading industrialist Ravi Pillai Kalyan Jewellers owner Kalyana Raman KSFE and the Adani Group have announced financial assistance to the tune of Rs 5 crore eachThe Rs 5 crore assistance announced by Tamil Nadu CM M K Stalin yesterday was handed over to us today the CM saidMassive landslides triggered by torrential rains hit Mundakkai Chooralmala Attamala and Noolpuzha hamlets in the early hours of Tuesday killing several people including women and childrenThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever