Relief and rescue work is going on after the terrible landslide in Wayanad. The rescue team is using people’s last location, drone images and GPS coordinates from cell phones to locate survivors buried under the debris. The search operation has gained momentum after the army built a 190 feet bailey bridge.
A family of four was rescued from a house in an area near Padvetti Kunnu on the fourth day of the landslide, giving hope to hundreds of rescue workers searching for survivors. About 300 people are still missing, due to which the death toll is expected to increase.
More than 300 people died
More than 300 people have died so far in the massive landslide that occurred in Wayanad in the early hours of July 30. The rescue workers involved in the rescue have so far found only 195 bodies. Rest of the people’s death has been confirmed from their body parts.
The rescue operation has gained momentum from the Bailey bridge built by the army. With the help of the bridge, teams could move heavy machinery including excavators and ambulances to the worst-affected Mundakkai and Churalmala villages. According to official sources, the exact figure of human loss will be known when rescue teams use heavy machinery to clear houses covered with debris and wood.
Ongoing genetic testing of body parts
Officials said several more body parts have been collected and genetic testing is underway to identify the remains. About 40 rescue teams with sniffer dogs are conducting search operations in the landslide affected areas. The joint teams include personnel from Army, NDRF, DSG, Coast Guard and Navy. Along with this, another search operation is being conducted using police helicopter.
Forest Department employees along with Coast Guard and Navy are also going to search those places where dead bodies are likely to be washed away. Drone based radar is going to arrive from Delhi on Saturday to detect dead bodies buried in the soil. The help of 6 dogs is also being taken in the search operation. Today 4 more dogs will be brought from Tamil Nadu.
Three landslides in Wayanad
Let us tell you that the first landslide in Wayanad occurred at around 2 am in the morning of 30th July. After this, another landslide occurred at around 4.10 in the morning. With this, landslide occurred again for the third time. Four villages of Wayanad were turned into piles of debris in the landslide, out of which rescue operations are being carried out continuously to rescue people. With the progress of the rescue operation, the death toll is continuously increasing.