The death toll in the massive landslides that occurred on July 30 in Chooralmala and Mundakkai of Wayanad stands at 308 as of Friday, Kerala Health Minister Veena George said
As per the officials, 210 bodies and 134 body parts have been recovered till now which includes 96 males, 85 females and 29 children
The Centre has issued a fresh draft notification to declare over 56,800 square kilometres of the Western Ghats across six states, including 13 villages in Kerala's landslide-hit Wayanad, an Ecologically Sensitive Area (ESA), inviting suggestions and objections within 60 days. The notification, issued on July 31, came a day after a series of landslides claimed over 300 lives in Wayanad district. Scientists from Kerala and beyond attribute the disaster to a deadly mix of forest cover loss, mining in the fragile terrain and climate change. The draft notification proposes to declare 9,993.7 sq km in Kerala, including 13 villages in two talukas of the landslide-hit district, as ecologically sensitive. These villages are Periya, Thirunelli, Thondernad, Thrissilery, Kidanganad and Noolpuzha in Mananthavady taluka, and Achooranam, Chundel, Kottappadi, Kunnathidavaka, Pozhuthana, Thariyod and Vellarimala in Vythiri taluka. The July 30 landslides affected Mundakkai, Chooralmala, and Attamal
Three Labrador dogs from the Indian Army -- Jaki, Dixie, and Sara -- are working tirelessly to help locate survivors trapped under the debris in Kerala's landslide-ravaged areas of Wayanad district. These highly trained canine companions are working alongside their human counterparts, braving challenging conditions like mud, slush and rain, to sniff out lives buried beneath the rubble. The dogs are using their keen sense of smell to help find survivors trapped in the rubble. "Human's Best Friend works with humans shoulder to should to find humans under the debris in #Wayanad.JAKI, DIXIE & SARA the three #labradordogs of the #IndianArmy are sniffing for lives tirelessly undeterred by mud, slush or rain @giridhararamane #OpMadad," a Defence PRO said in a post on X. The canines were brought from the Dog Training Faculty (DTF) of RVC Centre and College in Meerut Cantt, Uttar Pradesh. The faculty, designated as a centre of excellence in dog training, trains dogs in nine specialties, .
The Congress leader is currently visiting relief camps in Wayanad, which has been struck by three major landslides
IMD weather update: The IMD said heavy rainfall is expected in Himachal Pradesh, Kerala, Uttarakhand, Konkan, Goa, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Karnataka, Assam, and Meghalaya
In a post on Facebook, Minister George said that additionally, DNA samples of 130 body parts were also taken
Amid reports that its warning system "failed" in landslide-hit Wayanad in Kerala, the Geological Survey of India (GSI) on Friday said its regional forecast bulletins for the district were experimental and issued once a day for ground testing. This process was a "part of building a prediction model", which will take 4-5 years to be ready for public use, a GSI official said. "GSI has started issuing regional landslide forecast bulletins on an experimental mode once a day for Wayanad district, Kerala. These are issued only to the State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA) and District Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) for ground testing since the onset of the 2024 monsoon. It is restricted only to SDMA and DDMA for receiving feedback," a GSI spokesperson told PTI. These forecasts are based on rainfall predictions provided by the National Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasting (NCMRWF) and the India Meteorological Department (IMD) to prepare landslide thresholds, he said. Massi
The gag order, issued on August 1, directed the scientific community to restrain themselves from sharing their opinions with media
During a review meeting held in Kalpetta, Wayanad, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said that all those who are alive have been saved in the last three days
Rescue and relief operations coordinated by the Army, NDRF, SDRF and civil administration are underway
Braving rains and adverse terrain, 40 teams of rescuers began search operations in landslide-hit Wayanad district on the fourth day on Friday, officials said. The search and rescue operations that got underway early morning received an impetus due to the completion of the 190-foot-long Bailey bridge that will enable the movement of heavy machinery, including excavators, and ambulances to the worst-affected Mundakkai and Chooralmala hamlets, they said. The 40 teams will conduct search operations in six zones of the landslides-hit areas -- Attamala and Aaranmala (first), Mundakkai (second), Punchirimattam (third), Vellarimala village (fourth), GVHSS Vellarimala (fifth), and riverbank (sixth). The joint teams will include personnel from the army, NDRF, DSG, Coast Guard, Navy, and MEG along with three locals and one forest department employee. In addition to this, a three-pronged search operation will begin, focusing on the Chaliyar River, according to the rescue plan devised by the ..
Congress leader and former Wayanad MP Rahul Gandhi and his sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra visited the landslide-affected area of Chooralmala here and a hospital and community health centre in Meppadi on Thursday afternoon. After visiting the spot, Gandhi in a Facebook post said witnessing the scenes of disaster and tragedy deeply pained his heart. "In these difficult times, Priyanka and I stand with the people of Wayanad. We are closely monitoring the relief, rescue, and rehabilitation efforts, ensuring that all necessary assistance is provided. The UDF is committed to extending all possible support. "The repeated incidents of landslides and natural calamities are extremely concerning. A comprehensive action plan is urgently needed," he said in his post. After reaching Chooralmala, Gandhi and his sister -- donning translucent blue raincoats -- crossed the temporary wooden walkway built there, witnessed the construction of the Bailey bridge and walked around the area braving the rain
Rain-triggered landslides struck Wayanad on Tuesday, claiming the lives of at least 256 people and leaving several hundred injured
Doctors, nurses and other healthcare professionals, are working round the clock in Kerala's landslide-affected Wayanad, grappling with a distressing situation that involves providing critical care to severely injured survivors and performing autopsies on the remains of victims claimed by the catastrophic event. "Until 7 am today, we have completed 256 autopsies, which include body parts as well. So, it's not 256 full bodies, but also includes body parts. We have handed over 154 bodies to the district administration," said State Health Minister Veena George. She explained that autopsies have been performed on bodies that were swept away by the river and recovered from the Pothukal area in Malappuram district. Speaking about the traumatic situations faced by health workers, the minister revealed that over 100 autopsies were performed on Wednesday night. "It's quite unfortunate. Last night, we performed 112 autopsies, I think. I saw a health worker there, and she was crying. She hadn'
As a massive search operation is underway at Mundakkai region in landslide-hit Wayanad with a team of over 3,000 rescue workers, the authorities and locals are still grappling to determine the exact number of people missing. According to the state government, the toll has gone up to 173 while an estimated number of 191 people are missing, though official sources indicate that the actual number may be much higher. The rescue operators are contending with adverse conditions, including muddy soil and rain, as they search through destroyed homes and buildings. State Revenue Minister K Rajan, who is in the disaster-struck region, coordinating the rescue efforts, told the media that the authorities are yet to finalise the number of missing people. "Initially, we used the voter list to identify the missing persons. But since it does not contain the details of the children, we are now relying on ration cards and other details. We are trying to identify the missing people by checking the ..
167 people have been declared dead in the aftermath of the landslides as per the Kerala Revenue Department
Wayanad landslide: At least 180 people still missing with many feared to be trapped under the debris of houses, shops and bridges that were completely destroyed in the landslides in Wayanad on Tuesday
Wayanad landslide: Officials fear that casualties are likely to increase as 180 people are still missing and many are feared to be trapped under the debris
The death toll in the Wayanad landslide tragedy crossed 150 on July 31. Watch the video to know the latest updates.