Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan described the Wayanad landslides as a heart-wrenching disaster. The government has declared two days of state mourning.
At least 156 people have lost their lives, and around 130 others have been injured following devastating landslides in Kerala’s Wayanad district early Tuesday morning due to heavy rainfall. The tragic news was confirmed late Tuesday night by Kerala Health Minister Veena George in a Facebook post.
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Several agencies, including the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and the Army, have been deployed to the district as many individuals are still feared to be trapped under the debris. The worst-hit areas include the villages of Chooralmala, Mundakkai, Attamala, and Noolpuzha. Additionally, many people are believed to have been swept away by the Chaliyar river.
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan described the landslides as a heart-wrenching disaster. “The landslide in Wayanad is a heart-wrenching disaster. There was extremely heavy rainfall. An entire area has been wiped out. Many who went to sleep last night have been swept away,” he stated.
The government has declared two days of state mourning. Meanwhile, former Wayanad MP Rahul Gandhi and his sister Priyanka Gandhi have postponed their visit to the district due to the extreme weather and rains.
Priyanka Gandhi expressed her solidarity on X, saying, “My brothers and sisters in Wayanad, even though we cannot come to Wayanad tomorrow, our hearts are with you at this tragic hour and we are praying for all of you.”
Rahul Gandhi assured the people of Wayanad that they would visit as soon as possible and emphasized that the Gandhis would continue to monitor the situation closely and provide all necessary assistance.
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Alappuzha MP KC Venugopal mentioned their initial plans to visit Wayanad promptly but decided not to interfere with the ongoing rescue operations. “We thought of going through Mysuru, but now we have reports that Mysuru airport weather is also not good. We are exploring the possibilities, it may be postponed for a day or two but we will go,” he said.
Furthermore, West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose arrived in Wayanad on Tuesday night to assess the relief efforts. He also communicated with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh about the rescue operations.
The Governor will visit hospitals and relief camps, facilitating rescue and relief operations, and maintaining close contact with the Chief Minister of Kerala, according to the Raj Bhavan.