Southern Naval Command dispatches relief team to Wayanad; heavy rainfall warning for five Kerala districts

Kerala [India], July 31 (ANI): The Southern Naval Command dispatched a disaster relief team of 68 personnel from INS Zamorin at Ezhimala to the landslide-affected areas in Kerala’s Wayanad, officials said on Wednesday.

Massive landslides struck Chooralmala and Mundakkai areas in Wayanad district on Tuesday, killing more than 150 people, including women and children.

“Based on the request from the Kerala State Disaster Management Authority (KSDMA), the Southern Naval Command dispatched a disaster relief team of 68 personnel from INS Zamorin at Ezhimala to the landslide affected site at 02.30 pm on July 30, 2024,” the Southern Naval Command said in a statement on Wednesday.

According to an official statement, the rescue team, equipped with medical personnel and necessary equipment, arrived at the site at 10 pm the same day.

Additional teams are on standby and will be deployed at short notice as needed. An Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH) detachment in Search and Rescue (SAR) configuration was deployed from Kochi to Calicut at 07.30 am on Wednesday to support the rescue efforts.

The Southern Naval Command noted that adverse weather conditions due to incessant rains are posing challenges in the area. Efforts are ongoing to provide immediate relief and support to the local population affected by the disaster, it added.

The Indian Army’s Southern Command has also begun preparations for erecting a bridge on Meppadi-Chooralmala Road. Bridging assets and a dog squad from Delhi have landed at Kannur Airport.

“Preparations for the erection of a bridge on #Meppadi-#Chooralmala Road are underway. Bridging assets from Delhi along with dog squad have landed at Kannur Airport, with further movement to the site being meticulously coordinated,” Southern Command Indian Army said in a post on X.

“The relief columns, in concert with mechanical forces, are striving to evacuate people to safety, ensuring a swift and organised response to the crisis,” it added.

The regional meteorological department has issued a warning for heavy rainfall in five districts, including Wayanad.

An Orange Alert has been issued for Malappuram, Kozhikode, Wayanad, Kannur, and Kasaragod, while a Yellow Alert is in place for Pathanamthitta, Alappuzha, Kottayam, Ernakulam, Idukki, Thrissur, and Palakkad districts. No rain warnings are in effect for Thiruvananthapuram and Kollam.

The Kerala government is compiling a list of those affected by the landslide.

Kerala Revenue and Housing Minister K Rajan said that the number of people involved in the accident will be available by this evening.

“The list will be prepared based on the ration cards and mustering records of plantations. The camps will continue, and comprehensive measures for rehabilitation will be taken soon,” Rajan said.

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan held a meeting on Wednesday morning to review the rescue operations in the Wayanad district, which was hit by landslides on July 30.

The number of people who died in the landslides that struck the hilly areas of Meppadi in Wayanad district on Tuesday following incessant rainfall has gone up to 158, the Kerala Revenue Department said on Wednesday.

The chief minister held a meeting at the office of the Disaster Management Authority in Thiruvananthapuram to take stock of the rescue efforts.

As per a decision taken during the cabinet meeting, the Chief Minister will also reach Wayanad on August 1 morning to attend a state-level all-party meeting that has been convened for tomorrow.

Union Minister George Kurian visited the affected areas to take stock of the situation and met with survivors at relief camps.

Currently, a delegation of nine state ministers is in Wayanad assessing the relief camps.

A total of 1200 rescue workers from the Indian Army, DSC Centre, Territorial Army, NDRF, Indian Navy, and IAF are deployed in the calamity-hit areas.

Navy teams from Ezhimala Naval Base arrived in Chooralmala this morning.

An Army canine unit has also joined in the efforts to sniff out bodies buried under the debris of mud and slush.

The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) is actively engaged in the rescue and relief operations for those affected by the landslides, and the ICG Disaster Relief Team Kochi and Beypore are on the ground, providing aid and support.

Hundreds of people are still missing in the aftermath of the landslides that affected Mundakkai and Chooralmala the most. Attamala and Noolpuzha villages were also affected.

Chief Minister Vijayan said that 45 camps have been set up in Wayanad district, and over 3000 people have been rehabilitated there.