Death toll in Kerala landslide goes up to 61, nine still missing

Idukki, Aug 18: Three more bodies were recovered from the landslide site at Pettimudi in the high range Idukki district on Tuesday, taking the toll to 61, officials said. Nine people are still missing.

The remains of a six-year-old boy and a 57-year-old man were recovered while one body is yet to be identified and nine more bodies have to be retrieved.

Two Ground Penetrating Radars (GPR)s from Chennai along with a four-member team joined the search operations by Tuesday afternoon, Idukki collector H Dinesh told PTI.

The radars have been broughtfrom the Institute of Oceanography, he said.

The help of the dog squad was also used for search operations earlier, but due to inclement weather, their services are not being utilised now, sources said.

National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), fire force, police and forest officials are jointly engaged in the search operations.

A massive mound of earth and slush triggered by heavy rains had flattened a row of 20 oneroom "row houses" of tea plantation workers made of tin and asbestos sheets which accommodated at least 82 workers at Pettimudi in Rajamala on August 7.

Twelve people were rescued.