Wayanad: Death toll rises to 256, rescue hit by rain, debris

In Kerala, the death toll in the landslide-affected Wayanad region has crossed 250. 200 persons are reported missing. Relief and rescue workers continued efforts to extricate bodies buried beneath the debris for the second day today. Few bodies recovered were taken to the hospital.
Teams from the army and National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) struggled against the treacherous terrain, as boulders, mud and strong currents of floodwater hampered rescue efforts, forcing them to use improvised ziplines and jerry-rigged bridges to extricate dead bodies or trapped people. The swelling waters of the Iruvazhinji river that courses through the two villages compounded the disaster and consumed settlements along its banks.

The #IndianArmy, The #IndianAirForce and the #NDRF have all, as always been doing a stellar job in rescue ops.#WayanadDisaster #Kerala #KeralaLandslide pic.twitter.com/NpeusPsIAU

— Saikiran Kannan | 赛基兰坎南 (@saikirankannan) July 31, 2024

The Army’s efforts to build a Bailey bridge at Chooralmala across a tributary of the Chaliyar River were hampered by intermittent heavy rains and swift currents in the river. Building activities resumed in the evening after the rains subsided. The bridge is a crucial link for moving heavy machinery to Mundakkai, the region worst affected by the landslide. The earlier bridge across the river was washed away on Tuesday, causing considerable delay in the launch of rescue and relief operations.