As search operations entre the fifth day on Saturday, rescue teams, using advanced technical gadgets and dogs, continue to look for survivors or recover bodies buried under the debris of the devastating Wayanad landslides, one of Kerala’s worst natural calamities.
Wayanad landslides latest updates
1. The number of bodies recovered from the Wayanad landslides has risen to 210, while 187 people have been discharged from hospitals. However, around 300 people are still missing with little hope of them being alive.
2. However, a family of four was rescued from an isolated house near Padavetti Kunnu on the fourth day of the deadly landslides, giving hope to hundreds of rescuers searching for survivors.
3. Around 40 rescue teams, along with cadaver dogs, are conducting search operations in six zones of the landslide-hit areas. The dogs are using their keen sense of smell to help find survivors trapped in the rubble.
4. A daring rescue operation by forest officers saved four toddlers and their parents from a tribal community. The team, led by Kalpetta Range Forest Officer K Hashis, trekked deep into the forest to rescue the family.
5. An official involved in the operation said that a “blue signal”, signalling potential breath sign, was received on the radar while searching the area of a house in the severely affected Mundakkai village. However, the search concluded on Friday evening as the rescue personnel determined it was unlikely anyone was alive under the debris.
6. The India Meteorological Department has forecast a generally cloudy sky with occasional spells of rain or thundershowers for Wayanad on Saturday.
7. US president Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden expressed condolences, commending the bravery of Indian service members and first responders. “We mourn with the families who have lost loved ones and continue to hold the people of India in our thoughts during this difficult time,” said the White House.
8. The Centre issued a draft notification to declare over 56,800 square kilometers of the Western Ghats, including 13 villages in Kerala’s Wayanad, as an Ecologically Sensitive Area (ESA). This notification came a day after the landslides claimed over 300 lives in Wayanad.
9. The Congress accused the Centre of delaying the ‘ecologically sensitive area’ tag for a portion of the Western Ghats, claiming it is directly responsible for the human tragedy in Wayanad.
10. Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh moved a Privilege Motion notice in the Rajya Sabha against Union home minister Amit Shah for his “Early Warning” claims regarding the Wayanad landslide. Ramesh stated that Shah misled the Rajya Sabha with false statements on early warnings, constituting a breach of privilege and contempt of the house.
