Kerala Landslides: Fifth Day Of Rescue Efforts Begins As Death Toll Reaches 308

The search and rescue operations in landslides-hit Wayanad in Kerala continued for the fifth straight day on Saturday, as several people are still feared trapped under the debris.

The death toll from the devastating incident on July 30 in Chooralmala and Mundakkai in Wayanad has reached 308 on Friday, Kerala Health Minister Veena George said.

The relief teams, along with a dog squad, began the search operations at 7 am today, a Defence statement said. The Indian Army relief columns are also on site, with all activities coordinated by North Kerala IGP.

Expert teams from the armed forces, the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), and state emergency personnel are actively involved in the efforts.

The search efforts will continue today across six designated zones, Lieutenant Colonel Vikas Rana said.

"Today's plan mirrors yesterday's; we've divided the area into different zones, and teams have been dispatched accordingly. Scientists and sniffer dogs are also accompanying the teams. Local residents are supporting the search and rescue operations," ANI quoted Lt. Colonel Vikas Rana as saying.

The Army is building a bridge in the Punchirimattom area to enable the movement of Hitachi machines for search and rescue operations. Air Marshal B Manikantan, AOC-in-C, and Brigadier Salil, Station Commander of Pangode Military Station, conducted an aerial survey on Saturday to evaluate the situation in the affected regions.

In response to a request from the Kerala government, a Xaver Radar from the Northern Command and four Reeco Radars from the Tiranga Mountain Rescue Organization in Delhi, along with their operators, will be airlifted from Delhi today on an IAF aircraft, according to PRO Defence Kochi.

Deep Search Radars To Aid In Landslide Rescue Efforts
To locate individuals still believed to be trapped under debris in the landslide-hit villages, deep search radars will be deployed in the affected areas, according to a Defence PRO statement on Saturday.

The Kerala government has requested advanced radar equipment, including one Xaver radar and four Reeco radars, which will be airlifted from Delhi along with their operators on an Indian Air Force (IAF) aircraft.

The deployment of these deep search radars is expected to significantly improve the effectiveness of the rescue operations and aid in locating any remaining individuals trapped under the debris.