Kerala: Idukki landslide death toll rises to 54

Two NDRF teams, a full unit of Idukki fire and rescue team, a team each from Kottayam, Thiruvananthapuram, and a team which received special training are leading the rescue operations in Idukki’s Rajamala, the District Information Office had said on Sunday.

With the recovery of two more bodies, the death toll of the Rajamala landslide in Idukki rose to 54 on Wednesday, informed the Idukki District Collector (DC).

Rescue workers look for survivors at the site of a landslide during heavy rains in Idukki, Kerala. (Reuters)

“Two more bodies were found today, taking the death toll in the Rajamala landslide to 54. 16 missing people are yet to be traced,” the DC said.

Two NDRF teams, a full unit of Idukki fire and rescue team, a team each from Kottayam, Thiruvananthapuram, and a team which received special training are leading the rescue operations in Idukki’s Rajamala, the District Information Office had said on Sunday.

On Friday, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan had announced an ex-gratia of ₹5 lakhs to kin of the deceased.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had also expressed his condolences over deaths due to landslide and announced an ex-gratia of ₹2 lakhs each from Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund (PMNRF) to the kin of deceased.

Heavy rains in several parts of Kerala triggered floods and landslides which have wreaked havoc in the region over the past few days.