Wayanad Landslides Highlights: Death toll rises to 167, rescue operations underway

Wayanad Landslides LIVE Updates: The death toll in the series of landslides in Kerala's Wayanad district climbed up to 148, with hundreds still missing.

Wayanad Landslides LIVE Updates: Senior BJP leader V Muraleedharan told PTI that over the past five years, the Kerala government has received numerous advance notices and alerts from various agencies regarding disaster management. Since July 23, the Union home ministry has been advising the state government and disaster management authorities, he added.

Wayanad Landslides LIVE Updates: West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose visited relief camps for the landslide victims in Kerala's Wayanad district on Wednesday and personally interacted with those affected.

After the devastating landslides in Kerala's Wayanad district, Union Minister George Kurien visited the affected area on Wednesday to evaluate the ongoing rescue operations.

Kurien reviewed the rescue efforts and met with the victims at the relief camps.

The first landslide happened at 2 a.m. on July 30, followed by another at 4:10 a.m., causing significant damage to homes and livelihoods. Many areas, like Meppadi, Mundakkai, and Chooralmala, have been cut off, with roads washed away. The Vellarmala GVH School was completely buried.

To improve rescue operations in Wayanad, where landslides have occurred, a 190-ft-long Bailey bridge is being built to connect the severely affected areas of Mundakkai and Chooralmala, officials said on Wednesday.

The bridge can hold up to 24 tonnes and is expected to be finished by Thursday evening.

Due to its length, a support is being built in the middle of the river to help with rescue operations once the bridge is ready.

Materials for the bridge are being sent to Chooralmala from Delhi and Bengaluru. The supplies arriving at Kannur airport are being transported to Wayanad by 17 trucks.

Wayanad Landslides LIVE Updates: Congress and BJP members engaged in a heated exchange in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday during a Calling Attention Motion regarding the Wayanad landslides issue.

Wayanad Landslides LIVE Updates: Tamil Nadu Congress president K Selvaperunthagai on Wednesday announced that the state unit will provide ₹1 crore as a relief fund for Wayanad.

Wayanad Landslides LIVE Updates: As rescue operations continue in Wayanad district, the Kerala government has confirmed that the death toll has risen to 160.

Wayanad Landslides LIVE Updates: Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan visited landslide-hit Wayanad on Wednesday. He interacted with officials involved in the rescue and relief operations.

Reacting to Union home minister Amit Shah's claim that the state government was ill prepared even after the central government issued an alert on July 23, KC Venugopal said, "Everybody has to be together, opposition is going with great heart to be together, but the government is trying to settle the score. It's unfortunate."

Post cabinet meeting Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan said the government is relocating tribal families and providing food to those not ready to move. There are 82 relief camps in the district with 2,017 individuals.

Priority is being given to rescue operations in Mundakkai and efforts are progressing well in Attamala and Chooralmala as well. Additionally, 132 army personnel have arrived to assist rescue operations.

Adani group chairman Gautam Adani announced ₹5 crore as the group's contribution to the Kerala Chief Minister's Distress Relief Fund. "The Adani Group stands in solidarity with Kerala during this difficult time," Adani posted on X.

Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan said 144 bodies have been recovered so far and 191 people are still missing.

Efforts are on to evacuate as many people as possible and necessary medical assistance is being provided to those rescued, said the chief minister.

Speaking in Parliament, Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi said the military is doing a good job and it is important to support the people of Wayanad. "It is the second time this tragedy has taken place, this took place 5 years ago as well. It is clear that this area has an ecological issue, so this should be looked into and whatever hi-tech solution can be brought forward, will be good," said the Congress MP.

Congress MP Rahul Gandhi reached Parliament to take part in calling attention discussion on the situation in landslide hit Wayanad.

Speaking on the situation in landslide hit Wayanad, Home minister Amit Shah said nine teams of NDRF was dispatched as soon as early warning was given on July 23. However, he said, the state government was not alert even after their arrival.

In a statement in Rajya Sabha Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai said the central government has provided all possible assistance to the state government. Over a thousand people have been rescued and multiple teams from the armed forces are conducting rescue and search operations, said the minister.

Extending his condolences to the families of those killed in the landslides in Wayanad , Union home minister Amit Shah said that the Centre had warned Kerala on July 23.

“My condolences to the bereaved families... I want to clarify something for the country... They (Opposition) kept on talking about early warning. I want to clarify that on July 23, the government of India gave an early warning to the government of Kerala, which was 7 days before the incident, and then on July 24 and 25 too early warning was given,” Shah tells Rajya Sabha.

"On July 26, a warning was given that there was a chance of heavy rainfall of more than 20 cm, and there were chances of landslides, there could be mudflow and people could lose lives in this. Questions are being raised about the early warning system of the government... The government has spent Rs. 2000 crores after 2014 for the early warning system..." he adds.

Wayanad Landslides LIVE Updates: After a request from the the Kerala State Disaster Management Authority (KSDMA), the Navy's Southern Naval Command sends a disaster relief team of 68 personnel from INS Zamorin at Ezhimala to the landslide-affected site. The rescue team comprises skilled personnel along with medical team and necessary equipment reached the site and additional teams have been kept standby for deployment at short notice.

Wayanad Landslides LIVE Updates: “We need to put maximum strength from central government's side, state government's side and all other state governments who can help, then only the situation can be addressed. The nation is weeping. We need to have long-term and short-term strategies regarding how to stop these types of calamities,” says KC Venugopal.

Wayanad Landslides LIVE Updates: “The Odisha govt is in touch with Kerala govt. 2 families from Cuttack district's Chaudwar, who were tourists there, are also trapped there, among them, two women were found and are admitted to a hospital and two men are missing, all of them are doctors...we hope all of them will return safely...we are contemplating with Kerala govt to send officials to Kerala...to assist in the search operation for the missing people from Odisha,” says Suresh Pujari, Odisha's revenue minister.

Wayanad Landslides LIVE Updates: “The first priority is to carry out the rescue operations. The military and the NDRF are doing very well. We expect more casualties...It will take time to build the houses again now. The local MLAs and Panchayats are providing all support. We have demanded from the government that all displaced persons should be provided house rent as they don't have a house now. We will raise all these issues in the all-party meeting tomorrow. We are with the government to overcome this situation,” says Leader of Opposition VD Satheesan of the Congress.

Wayanad Landslides LIVE Updates: Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, who is from Kerala, says the situation in the state is ‘rather grim.’

“It is good that the defence forces are very active there…the NDRF is also on the ground. We are also sending help whatever we can. This not an easy situation...access is still difficult, problems are colossal,” he says.

Wayanad Landslides LIVE Updates: Death toll in Wayanad landslides rises to 158, says the Kerala revenue department.