A collapsed bridge between the villages of Mundakai and Chooralmala in Kerala is adding to the rescue challenge for forces in Wayanad following a devastating landslide. National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) deputy inspector general (DIG) Bharat Bhushan Vaid told CNN-News18 that incessant rain and mudslides are making the region unstable.
“A bridge has collapsed between the two spots, Mundakai and Chooralmala, and that is making connectivity an issue for the teams on the ground,” Vaid said.
Dangerous ground
At least 98 people have been killed and many are feared trapped after a massive landslide hit Wayanad in the early hours of Tuesday as heavy rainfall continued in Kerala.
Mundakai and Chooralmala are the worst affected but a total of five villages around Vellarimala have emerged as the epicentre of the disaster. Situated about 25 kilometres from Wayanad the villages of Attamala, Mundakai, Chooralmala, Palavayal, and Soojipara have suffered the most damage, the NDRF said. Initial assessment suggests that 400 to 500 houses may have collapsed in the pre-dawn landslide affecting close to 1,500 people.
The NDRF had pulled out 21 bodies till around 1 pm on Tuesday. A total of 74 had been rescued and a hunt is on for more survivors. “We usually have at least two dogs per team but in this kind of waterlogged situation, their sniffing abilities are restricted. We are depending on locals to point out areas where people may have been trapped,” an official said.
The nearly 100-metre-wide Chunnarmala river is overflowing. NDRF teams are traversing waterlogged streets and wading through mudslides to bring medical aid to the injured.
Union home minister Amit Shah has spoken to Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan and offered all help from the Centre. While three NDRF teams along with the Army and Air Force are already deployed, paramilitary forces have also been put on standby.
Late-night SOS
At around 2.30 am on Tuesday, the NDRF received an SOS call, as heavy rain had triggered a landslide in Wayanad.
The nearest NDRF team was 35 kilometres away, officials said. Darkness, mudslides, and rain made the distance seem twice as much.
At daybreak Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to CM Pinarayi Vijayan and minister of state for minority affairs George Kurian was asked to rush immediately to ensure coordination between state and central forces.
The NDRF deployed its first team around 4 am. The Territorial Army’s 122 TA Battalion reached Wayanad at around 12.30 pm. Two more NDRF teams from Kozhikode and Bengaluru were also rushed but bad weather and road conditions delayed them.
The Pune-headquartered Southern Command of the Indian Army mobilised two rescue columns along with two Indian Air Force (IAF) helicopters from the Sulur Air Force Station in Coimbatore.
Fire, Army, police, and civil administration are all racing against time as each passing minute makes the situation more critical for survivors.
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