Pinarayi Vijayan On Wayanad Landslides: 'No One Left To Save' - Heartbreaking Reality Unfolds

The death toll in the Wayanad landslides tragedy is expected to rise, as Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan declared on Thursday that all those alive had been rescued over the past three days.

Officially, 177 people have been confirmed dead, including 25 children and 70 women, with around 200 still missing.

Photo Credit: PTI

Wayanad Landslides Tragedy: A Heartbreaking Reality

However, according to unconfirmed reports cited by PTI, the actual number of deaths could be as high as 276. Approximately 92 body parts have been recovered from the Chaliyar River. Around 350 buildings were damaged in the landslides, and rescue efforts have faced several challenges, including treacherous terrain and a shortage of heavy equipment.

"It is assumed that nobody is left to be saved in the villages of Mundakkai, Chooralmala, and Attamala. Rescue workers are investigating whether anyone has been stranded individually. The focus now is on retrieving bodies from the area," Vijayan said, according to The Indian Express.

A total of 1,600 rescue workers, including personnel from the Army, Navy, and National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), have been deployed in the rescue operations. Political leaders, including Vijayan and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, along with his sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, have visited the displaced people, expressing their solidarity with them, as reported by Hindustan Times.

On Thursday evening, the Army completed the construction of a Bailey Bridge between Chooralmala and Mundakkai, allowing the necessary equipment to be transported to disaster-affected areas. After visiting Wayanad, Rahul Gandhi expressed his anguish.

"It is a terrible tragedy for Wayanad, for Kerala, and the nation. We have come here to see the situation. It is painful to see how many people have lost family members and their houses. We will try to help and ensure that the survivors receive what is their due," Gandhi said while addressing reporters.

"A lot of them want to be relocated. There is a lot that needs to be done here. I would like to thank all those, including doctors, nurses, administration, and volunteers," he added. So far, authorities have conducted 256 autopsies, as per media reports.

"Until 7 am today, we have completed 256 autopsies, which include body parts as well. So, it is not 256 full bodies, but also includes body parts. We have handed over 154 bodies to the district administration," Health Minister Veena George said.