Wayanad landslides: 199 post-mortems conducted so far, says Kerala Govt

Kerala Health Minister Veena George said on Friday that post-mortem procedures of 199 bodies have been conducted so far in Wayanad.

In a post on Facebook, Minister George said that additionally, DNA samples of 130 body parts were also taken.

She further said that ICUs are kept ready in hospitals in Wayanad to provide intensive care to those rescued from the disaster areas. Hospitals including Manjeri Medical College and Kozhikode Medical College, which can reached if airlifted, are also kept on standby.

Meanwhile, the Indian Army during the rescue operations in Wayanad found four persons alive in the rumble including two men and two women earlier in the day.

According to the officials, the rescued individuals were stranded in the Padavetti Kunnu in Wayanad. The Army statement said that one of the rescued females was experiencing difficulties with her leg and was provided with necessary medical attention.

Earlier, the Indian Army's Engineer Task Force swiftly constructed the Bailey Bridge over the Iruvanipzha River at Chooralmala, significantly accelerating rescue operations in Wayanad.

To speed up the rescue operation, ten specialised teams, equipped with all necessary rescue apparatus, including dog squads and heavy earth-moving equipment have been formed. These teams commenced the combing operations early morning through six designated zones: Punchirimattom, Mundekkai, School area, Chooralmala town, Village area and Downstream, ensuring a thorough and efficient search and relentless rescue mission, the Southern Command of the Army said in a statement today.

Brigadier Arjun Segan, Commandant of the Para Regimental Training Centre said that rescue operations are swiftly continuing with additional strength of sniffer dogs.

"Now even the locals here are incorporated into search parties as they have more knowledge. Today is the 4th day of this rescue operation. Last evening by around 6 pm, we completed the bridge and were able to move vehicular movement upslope," he said.

Indian Air Force is flying a C-130 aircraft from Hindon air base to Wayanad, it will carry specialised Drone Systems along with a team of experts to Wayanad for sub-soil evacuation monitoring. These drone systems will look for people stuck under the soil.

Search operations by relief teams along with dog squads started at 7 am today. This includes 10 teams comprising 30 members each formed from Armed Forces personnel including Police.

The rescue and relief operations coordinated by the Army, NDRF, SDRF and civil administration are underway at multiple locations, ensuring quick evacuation of stranded people, and provision of basic amenities and medical assistance.

The regional meteorological department has issued a yellow alert for five districts including Wayanad in Kerala for heavy rains. The alert has been issued for Malappuram, Kozhikode, Wayanad, Kannur and Kasaragod.