Wayanad disaster: Death toll reaches 402, search for missing 170 continues

Wayanad, Aug 6: The rescue operations in landslide affected four villages of Kerala's Wayanad entered the eighth day on Tuesday with the death toll reaching 402 and around 170 still missing. The over 1,200 strong rescue team comprising personnel from all the Defence forces, NDRF, SDRF, police, fire services and volunteers began searches early in the morning in the four worst affected areas in Churalmala, Velarimala, Mundakayil and Punchirimadom.

Special teams have been searching in the Chaliyar River from where several bodies and dismembered body parts were recovered in the past few days. DNA tests are being conducted on all such body parts. In over 100 relief camps, mostly set up in various educational institutions in and around the affected areas, over 10,300 people have been housed.

State Revenue Minister on Tuesday said the Local Self Government ( LSG) department has now been asked to give a list of buildings belonging to the government besides identifying homes that are presently locked and also information about the number of resorts in the locality.

“The State Education Minister V. Sivankutty is reaching here and we will soon decide on how the educational needs will go ahead. The standard operating procedures will be in place. At the moment most of these relief camps operate in educational institutions. Once we get the list from the LSG department, we will move the people to resorts, closed homes and such places,” said Rajan.

“We assure that none of the people in the affected places will be left uncared. The weekly cabinet meeting will be held online on Wednesday, where more decisions with regards to rehabilitation will be made and Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan will announce it,” added Rajan. Even as the rescue operations entered the eighth day, this will go on till the Army takes a final call.

Meanwhile, help is pouring into the Chief Minister Distress Relief Fund and the decision has come that all state government employees will contribute their salaries of five days to it.