It’s day three of rescuing people from the devastating landslides that hit Wayanad earlier this week. The death toll has risen to 277 while 200 others are still missing.
Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi and Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra will visit Wayanad on Thursday. They were supposed to fly out on Wednesday but were advised against it due to inclement weather.
The Indian Army along with the NDRF teams are carrying out search and rescue operations in full swing.
Rescue ops
The Army has set up a Command and Control Centre headed by Maj Gen VT Mathew, General Officer Commanding, Karnataka and Kerala Sub Area, along with Brig Arjun Segan at Kozhikode for coordinating Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) efforts, a senior official said.
Brig Segan carried out a reconnaissance of the affected areas in the early hours of Wednesday and guided the Army columns for further conduct of the rescue operation.
The troops are conducting rescue operations along a six-kilometer stretch of landslide-affected areas.
Two columns each belonging to the Defence Security Corps (DSC) Centre, Kannur, and 122 Infantry Battalion (Territorial Army) Madras, Kozhikode, having a total strength of 225 personnel, were the first responders and reached the location to commence rescue operations in conjunction with the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and other agencies, the Army said late evening.
The IAF has deployed a diverse fleet of helicopters to support the operation, including the Mi-17 and Dhruv Advanced Light Helicopters (ALH) for Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR). Despite challenging weather conditions, IAF aircraft have continued to evacuate stranded individuals to nearby medical facilities and safe zones, as well as deliver essential supplies, well into the evening of July 31, 2024.
CM calls meeting
An all-party meeting, chaired by Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, will be held in the hill district on Thursday as search and rescue operations by various agencies and armed forces continue in the landslides-hit areas here.
State ministers camping in the district, MLAs from Wayanad and political party leaders will participate in the meeting, the district administration said.
With inputs from PTI
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