Wayanad: In one of the worst natural disasters to hit Kerala, more than150 people have been killed and hundreds injured due to massive landslides in Wayanad on Tuesday. Rescue operations resumed on Wednesday, with agencies racing against the clock to locate and extract survivors from the debris. With hundreds still trapped, fears of increasing fatalities remain high. Post-mortem examinations have been completed for 129 individuals.
The operations, which had been halted on Tuesday night due to adverse weather conditions, resumed on Wednesday morning.
The army and Kerala Fire Force constructed a temporary bridge on Tuesday, which they used during the night to evacuate those stranded after the original bridge was destroyed.
The two massive landslides that washed away the Mundakkai and Chooramala areas of Vellarimala village took place under Meppadi Panchayat in Wayanad on Tuesday morning.
The first landslide occurred at 2 a.m., followed by another at 4:10 a.m., causing immense damage to homes and livelihoods. Many areas, including Meppadi, Mundakkai and Chooralmala, have been isolated, and roads have been washed away. The Vellarimala GVH School was completely buried.