Two days after massive landslides triggered by torrential rains hit Mundakkai, Chooralmala, Attamala, and Noolpuzha hamlets in Kerala, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Thursday said that the army has informed the government that most of the individuals trapped under the debris have been rescued.
Addressing a press conference on Thursday, Vijayan said, “Our focus is to rescue those who were isolated. I appreciate the efforts of the Army personnel. They have informed us that most of the trapped individuals have been rescued.”
He said bringing down machinery to rescue those trapped under the soil was difficult and building the bridge eased the efforts.
“The construction of Bailey Bridge has been mostly completed,” he added.
He said a high-level meeting was held earlier in the day to take stock of the situation and a meeting of political parties, which was also attended by the Opposition, was also convened.
“Our focus is to rescue those who were isolated,” said the chief minister.
He said the rescue operation will continue in the river to search for missing people.
“Rescued people have been temporarily shifted to camps. Rehabilitation works will be done at the earliest, as we have done in earlier situations too,” Vijayan added.
He also requested the media to avoid meeting people and shooting inside the camps.
“You may talk to them outside the camps, it is important to protect the privacy of the individuals…,” said the CM.
Vijayan said that it’s very important to give psychological support to the survivors and also to avoid the spread of the epidemic.
“Not only human beings, but many animals also died in the calamity. Have to bury them all properly. A committee of four ministers will camp here and coordinate activities. For those who lost certificates, the government will re-issue them,” said the CM.
The devastating landslides in Wayanad district has has killed 173 people and left about 200 injured, and authorities are struggling to trace the missing and continue the rescue efforts in challenging terrain without heavy machinery to uncover debris and buried victims.
As rescuers work tirelessly to clear the rubble, there are fears of a surge in fatalities.
As many as 173 people have died and over 200 injured in the massive landslides, the district administration said on Thursday.
The dead include 23 children and 70 women.
Further, 221 people were admitted to hospitals from the disaster-hit areas and of them 91 are still under treatment.
According to the government’s official estimate on Wednesday evening, 191 people were missing. Official sources indicate the actual number may be higher.
With inputs from agencies
Link to article –
‘Most of the trapped individuals rescued’: Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan on Wayanad landslide
