As the death toll mounts to 93, with around 128 others reportedly injured in the massive landslides in the Chooralmala area of northern Wayanad district, several video and images are surfacing online of the trail of destruction and despair that nature's fury has felt behind.
Mundakkai, Chooralmala, Attamala, and Noolpuzha villages were among the areas affected and cut off by the landslides.
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said on Tuesday that of the dead, 34 bodies were identified and 18 were handed over to families. He also said 16 bodies were recovered from the Chaliyar river at Pothukal village.
Besides that, body parts were also recovered by those carrying out search and rescue operations, he said.
Rescue teams comprising the Indian Army, Navy, and National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) are collectively looking for survivors amid rough weather and multiple agencies are working in tandem to provide critical assistance to those affected.
According to a senior government official, heavy rains triggered a series of massive landslides in hilly areas of Meppadi in the district, sparking apprehensions of a possible increase in fatalities.
Vijayan has said that the initial landslide occurred around 2 am and the next one hit around 4.30 am, leaving hundreds trapped beneath the debris and many more being swept away. "The landslides occurred when the villagers were sleeping, catching them off-guard and resulting in the high number of casualties."
The CM said many more could be trapped inside or swept away, and that the state government will continue rescue efforts.
45 camps have been set up in the district and around 3,069 people have been rehabilitated there, said Vijayan.
The Kerala CM also appealed for contributions to the Chief Minister's Distress Relief Fund (CMDRF) to support those affected by the landslide and to help rebuild the impacted area.
(With PTI inputs)
