In one of the most severe natural disasters to impact Kerala, more than 150 people have lost their lives, and hundreds have been injured due to catastrophic landslides in Wayanad on Tuesday. Rescue teams have resumed their efforts on Wednesday, working tirelessly to find and rescue survivors from the wreckage. Despite the progress, the ongoing search is fraught with danger as many people remain trapped, raising concerns about the rising death toll. Post-mortem examinations have been completed for 129 of the deceased individuals.
Rescue operations, which were paused due to adverse weather conditions on Tuesday night, continued early Wednesday morning. The army and Kerala Fire Force constructed a temporary bridge on Tuesday, which facilitated the evacuation of those stranded after the destruction of the original bridge.
The devastation began early Tuesday morning with two significant landslides that obliterated the Mundakkai and Chooramala areas in Vellarimala village, located in the Meppadi Panchayat. The first landslide struck at 2 a.m., followed by a second at 4:10 a.m., resulting in extensive damage to homes and livelihoods. Several areas, including Meppadi, Mundakkai, and Chooramala, have been cut off, and roads have been swept away. The Vellarimala GVH School has been completely buried under debris. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan is overseeing the rescue and relief efforts, having convened a high-level meeting to coordinate the response to the crisis in the affected Meppadi areas of Wayanad.
