July 30, 2024 2:04 PM.
In Kerala, the death toll in the massive landslide that took place in Wayanad district has gone up to 48. The figure is likely to go up further, as more bodies are believed to be trapped under several layers of mud and debris in the affected region. 122 persons injured in the mishap have been admitted to various hospitals in Wayanad. Official sources said over 100 persons are reportedly missing.
Defence sources in Kochi said a team of 30 specialist swimmers from the Indian Navy are being deployed in the region. Two helicopters from Air Force Station Sulur in Coimbatore will be reaching Wayanad soon. Around 200 Army personnel from DSC Centre Kannur and the Terriorial Army Battallion in Kozhikode have also been dispatched to the site.
Huge boulders rolled down the hills and hindered the path of rescue workers. Those engaged in rescue work could be seen shifting the dead and the injured into ambulances braving heavy rains. The public can provide information to the 24-hour control room at the phone numbers – 9497900402, 0471 2721566. The control room functions under the direct control of the State police chief.
Kerala Electricity Minister K. Krishnankutty has directed that power connections in Wayanad’s Chooralmala and Mundakkai landslide-affected areas be restored as soon as possible, the office of the Minister of Electricity said on Tuesday.
Minister Krishnankutty has instructed that power restoration efforts be focused on all areas except for seven transformers in the disaster-affected region, which serve about 1,400 consumers.
Efforts to restore power to other areas are expected to be restored by this evening. Further assessments will be carried out in consultation with disaster management authorities.