Wayanad Landslides: Death Toll Rises To 308 Search, Rescue Operations Continue Orange Alert Issued 10 Points To Know

(MENAFN- Live Mint) Wayanad landlslide: The landslides in Wayanad has caused widespread devastation, destroying several houses, swelling water bodies, and uprooting trees. The picturesque hamlets known for their beauty – Mundakkai, Chooralmala, Attamala and Noolpuzha are now a picture of gloom.

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1. Kerala Health Minister Veena George on Friday confirmed 308 deaths in the multiple landslides that hit Wayanad on July 30.

2. The rescue and relief operations are underway in Chooralmala and Mundakkai in the Meppadi region where the landslides wreaked havoc.

3. While speaking to news agency ANI, ADGP, Law & Order Kerala, MR Ajith Kumar said,“In the last four days we have been doing operations. A joint team of the Indian army, the NDRF, the local police, special operations groups, the fire force, the Coast Guard and the Navy have been operating in all these areas... The revenue department is still trying to collect the data and find out how many people are here and how many people are missing.”

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4. As per ANI report, the affected area has been divided into six zones based on accessibility and prospects of recovery of missing persons, namely Zone 1 -Punchirimattom region, Zone 2 - Mundekkai region, Zone 3 - School area, Zone 4 - Chooralmala town area, Zone 5 - Village area and Zone 6 - Downstream.

5. The India Meteorological Department of Kerala has issued an orange alert in the Wayanad district until Saturday.

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6. IMD Kerala director, Neetha K Gopal said that there will be rain, but in between there can be some clear spells, which will also give relief to the rescue operators. "We have issued an orange alert in 4 northern districts of Kerala including Wayanad. In the south till up to Pathanamthitta, we have issued a yellow alert also. From tomorrow there will considerable reduction in rainfall activity. So the yellow alerts are being confirmed only to the northern districts of Kerala. And then from Sunday there will be a reduction and we will be experiencing only light to moderate rain thereafter for another four days," she said as quoted by ANI.

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7. Due to the prediction of very heavy rains, schools, colleges, and tuition centres will remain shut today i.e. August 2 in seven Kerala districts of Wayanad, Thrissur, Malappuram, Kozhikode, Kannur, Kasragod, Palakkad, as reported by Onmanorama.

8. Earlier on Thursday, Former Wayanad MP Rahul Gandhi and Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi visited the affected sites and also met the people in shelter camps. The Congress leaders continue to stay in Wayanad on Friday.

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9. In the wake of the landslides, the Indian Army has also completed the construction of Cl 24 Bailey Bridge in record time. The bridge connecting Chooralmala with Mundakkai over the Iruvanipzha River is open to traffic and handed over to the Civil Administration.

10. In the aftermath of the landslide in Wayanad, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan's appeal for contributions to the Chief Minister's Disaster Relief Fund (CMDRF) has garnered significant support. Through campaign drives, donations are pouring in from different quarters to aid the affected areas.

(With inputs from ANI, PTI)

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