Horrifying videos of Wayanad landslides surface: Roads, cars swept away
Horrifying visuals of the disaster surfaced on social media showing massive destruction of roads and property, and trees being uprooted.
Multiple landslides triggered by incessant rainfall in Kerala's Wayanad district have killed more than 70 people and left hundreds more trapped under the debris on Tuesday. According to officials, around 250 people have been rescued so far and shifted to temporary shelters.
Members of the fire and rescue, civil defence, NDRF, and local emergency response teams are conducting rescue operations. An additional NDRF team and two teams of Kannur Defence Security Corps have also been instructed to move to Wayanad to assist in the rescue efforts. Two Air Force helicopters, a Mi-17 and an ALH, are also coordinating the rescue operations.
Horrifying visuals of the disaster that surfaced on social media show the massive destruction of roads, vehicles, properties, and trees.
According to media reports, several bodies were found floating on various parts of the Chaliyar River in Malappuram.
Some of the visuals also show cars being swept away in flooded water. One car and a jeep can be seen stuck in between the uprooted trees amid rapidly flowing water.
A video posted by news agency ANI shows damage to buildings in the Chooralmala area of Wayanad.
Also read: Kerala's Wayanad sounded rain ‘red’ alert as massive landslides kill over 50
The Congress in Kerala also posted pictures and videos of the rescue operations.
“Our heart goes out to all the families who lost their dear and near ones. In this time of human tragedy, let's resolve to stand together and fight for our survival…We request the media and citizens who use social media to exercise restraint in handling the news about the tragedy and take care not to sensationalize it or spread any misinformation,” the party wrote on X.
Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan's office, in a statement, said that a control room has been established to provide immediate relief and rescue assistance. The CM has also given directions to coordinate the rescue operations in Wayanad promptly and announced that the entire government machinery is actively involved in the efforts, with ministers overseeing and coordinating the operations.