Wayanad landslide: Toll rises to 45, Army deployed for rescue op. Updates

Wayanad landslide updates: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has spoken to Kerala CM on the crisis and assured of all the help from the Centre

A major rain-induced landslide wreaked havoc in Kerala’s Wayanad district on Tuesday, killing at least 45 people, including a Nepali national, while hundreds were feared trapped.

A one-year-old child of a Nepali family was among those killed in the landslide in Wayanad that cut off at least four villages: Mundakkai, Chooralmala, Attamala, and Noolpuzha. Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said two Air Force helicopters had departed for the landslide-hit hilly district to airlift the affected families. 

The NDRF recovered several bodies and rescued one person alive during the search operation in the debris. The Indian Army has been deployed at the site to ramp up the rescue efforts. The total strength of the Army deployed is about 225, including medical personnel.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has spoken to Kerala CM on the crisis and assured of all the help from the Centre. The PM's office announced a compensation of Rs 2 lakh for the next of kin of each deceased and Rs 50,000 for the injured.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Army Chief Gen Upendra Dwivedi also held talks over the incident.

Wayanad landslide: What happened in early hours

1) The deaths were reported in Chooralmala and Thondernad areas of Wayanad, situated some 460 kilometres north of the capital city of Thiruvananthapuram.

2) The authorities have launched a search and rescue operation and are making efforts to move the affected people to a safe shelter. UDF Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) T Siddique said the authorities were drawing up plans to airlift people from the Mundakkai area.

3) "Currently, we have no complete information about those missing and dead in the landslides… NDRF personnel are trying to reach those places," he said.

Rahul Gandhi speaks with Kerala CM over Wayanad landslide

4) Former Wayanad Member of Parliament (MP) Rahul Gandhi expressed grief at the crisis and offered his condolences to the bereaved families. In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Gandhi said he had spoken to the Chief Minister and would hold talks with the Centre to ensure all possible assistance to Wayanad.

“I hope those still trapped are brought to safety soon,” he said.

5) The Kerala State Disaster Management Authority (KSDMA) said that the Fireforce and NDRF teams were already at the spot while additional NDRF teams were being mobilised to speed up the rescue efforts.

6) The officials said that the ongoing heavy rainfall in the region has hampered the rescue efforts, and the operation is likely to take a while.

7) Meanwhile, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has warned that heavy rainfall is likely to continue in the state's northern hilly areas.

8) Initial reports suggest that as many as 29 houses have been partially damaged in Wayanad, and 700 people have been moved to shelter camps.

Heavy rainfall prediction in Wayanad on July 30

9) The rainfall has further contributed to the rise in water levels of rivers flowing through the region, posing an additional challenge.

10) The districts of Wayanad and Kannur are on a ‘red’ alert for today, the weather body said, predicting extremely heavy rainfall in the region. A ‘red’ alert indicates the possibility of over 20 cm of rainfall in a region during a period of 24 hours.

(With inputs from agencies)