The death toll from Tuesday’s massive landslides in Kerala’s Wayanad district surpassed 300 on Friday, with rescuers racing against time to find survivors trapped in collapsed buildings and debris. So far, 308 people have died due to the landslides triggered by heavy rainfall in Wayanad’s hilly areas.
Rescue operations, now in their fourth day, will be expanded to include drone-based radar to locate survivors. Over 200 people have been injured as rescue efforts face numerous challenges, including treacherous terrain, destroyed roads and bridges, and a shortage of heavy equipment to clear mud and uprooted trees.
Wayanad Rescue Operations Updates:
- A joint team of the Indian Army, NDRF, Coast Guard, and Indian Navy will conduct searches in affected areas, with each team including three locals and one forest department employee.
- Forty rescue teams will divide the search areas into six zones: Attamala and Aaranmala (Zone 1), Mundakkai (Zone 2), Punjirimattam (Zone 3), Vellarmala Village Road (Zone 4), GVHSS Vellarmala (Zone 5), and downstream of the river Chaliyar (Zone 6).
- Police personnel from eight surrounding police stations and local swimming experts will also participate in the searches, with parallel searches conducted using a helicopter.
- Twenty-five ambulances will cross the Bailey Bridge, constructed by the Indian Army in record time, to Mundakkai after the original structure collapsed due to the landslides. A drone-based radar from Delhi will arrive on Saturday to aid in the search for survivors.
