Wayanad landslides: Death toll surpasses 340, 4-member family found safe in house as search enters Day 5

By Vinaykumar Patil | First Published Aug 3, 2024, 9:22 AM IST

Hope emerged in Wayanad, Kerala, as rescuers found a stranded family safe after the Mundakkai landslide, despite the death toll reaching 344. The family, isolated since Tuesday, was rescued thanks to their relatives’ coordinates. Efforts continue with 1,374 personnel, radars, and drones. MP Rahul Gandhi pledged 100 new houses for the affected.

Hope emerged from the wreckage in Wayanad, Kerala, on Friday when rescuers found a stranded four-member family safe three days after the landslide in Mundakkai. Despite the efforts, the situation remains dire, with the death toll now reaching 344.

Using an advanced radar system, search teams briefly detected what appeared to be signs of "breathing" in the debris. Unfortunately, this turned out to be a false alarm, and the search was called off around 9:15 PM, according to officials.

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The rescued family, whose house survived the landslide, had been cut off from the rest of the region. Their relatives contacted officials and provided the coordinates for a rescue operation. A defence spokesperson announced that Vellarimala residents John K J, Jomol John, Christene John, and Abraham John have been safely moved to a nearby relief camp. The officer explained, "The family had been confined to their home since Tuesday. While they are now safe and in good health, they are understandably distressed."

So far, the bodies retrieved include 85 women and 29 children. A total of 119 bodies have been handed over to the victims' families after autopsies. The district administration estimates that 218 people are still missing based on Aadhaar records, tourist arrival data, and inputs from ASHA workers and the injured.

District Collector Meghashree D R stated that steps are being taken to match retrieved body parts with the families of the missing through DNA testing. Unidentified bodies will be interred in public cemeteries throughout the district.

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Tourism Minister P A Mohammed Riyas said that around 1,374 rescue personnel continue to search the landslide-hit areas, using ground-penetrating radars and drones. The construction of a Bailey bridge has boosted the operation, allowing heavy machinery to reach the worst-affected areas of Mundakkai and Chooralmala. Around 40 rescue teams, accompanied by trained dogs, are carrying out search operations across six different zones.

MP Rahul Gandhi, who arrived on Thursday with his sister Priyanka Vadra, pledged that Congress would build over 100 houses in Wayanad to support those affected by the disaster.

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