THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A joint rescue operation conducted by the Indian Army, NDRF, Fire and Rescue Force, Kerala Police, volunteers successfully rescued over 480 individuals trapped in various locations in Mundakkai, ChooralMala, and Attamala after the catastrophic landslides in Wayanad district. Many people in disaster-stricken regions were isolated from the outside world following the destruction of the primary bridge that connected them to the nearby town of Chooral Mala, severely obstructing the progress of rescue efforts.The rescue teams were unable to reach the stranded individuals as the river had flooded, making it challenging to cross the affected areas. Army personnel reconstructed a temporary bridge to facilitate the rescue mission. The Madras Engineering Group (MEG) of the army was dispatched from Bengaluru to construct the bridge at Chooralmala, which had been washed away in the landslide. The bridge’s reconstruction allowed army and NDRF personnel to reach areas that were completely cut off, rescuing scores of people who were trapped. Teams of NDRF and army personnel crossed the river and reached Mundakkai , 13 hours after the disaster took place. Mundakkai is three and a half kilometres from Chooral Mala. Those who were stranded were brought to the other side using a ropeway and were rushed to the nearest hospitals for medical care. The 122 TA Battalion rescued 100 people from Mundakkai village. The state government appointed Sreeram Sambasivarao, principal director of the local self-government department, as the special officer for Wayanad to coordinate disaster management and relief work in the district. Two helicopters from Sulur Air Force station were kept on standby in Kozhikode as they could not land at the site due to bad weather. However, later in the evening, the helicopters were also pressed into service to rescue the trapped people. Teams of Army, Navy, Coast Guard, and NDRF were mobilized in districts impacted by the rains. Kerala’s armed police battalions, special operations group, rapid action forces, high-altitude training center personnel, drone teams, and police dogs skilled in locating individuals trapped under debris have been mobilized in the disaster-stricken areas. A control room has been established at the police headquarters. Teams of forensic doctors have been dispatched to accelerate the postmortem examinations of the deceased. The Chief Minister announced the opening of 42 relief camps in Wayanad district, providing shelter to 3,200 individuals. Additionally, 118 camps have been established across Kerala, accommodating 5,300 people.Two helicopters from Sulur air base are on standby in Kozhikode, unable to fly to the affected regions due to adverse weather conditions. These helicopters will participate in rescue operations as soon as the weather permits.The Kerala Water Authority will supply over 20,000 litres of drinking water to the Wayanad district via tankers. Temporary hospitals and clinics have been erected in various locations to provide immediate assistance to those rescued from the affected zones. PM announces Rs 2 lakh compensation to the kin of each victim. Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced an ex-gratia of Rs. 2 lakh from PMNRF for the next of kin of each person killed in the landslides in parts of Wayanad on Tuesday. The injured would be given Rs. 50,000. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin has sanctioned Rs 5 crore as immediate assistance for the landslide at Meppadi in Wayanad. Stalin called Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan over the phone and expressed his deep sorrow and offered his condolences.He offered all help and cooperation from Tamil Nadu in the wake of the tragedy. An amount of Rs 5 crore has been sanctioned from the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister’s Distress Relief Fund. A team of officers led by senior IAS officers K S Sameeran and Johny Tom Varghese have been deputed to Wayanad to assist in the relief work. A team of 20 rescue workers led by the joint director of the fire brigade and 20 disaster management personnel led by a SP and a medical team consisting of 10 doctors and nurses have been assigned the task.Chief Minister Stalin said that they would work with the officials in Kerala.
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