Death Till Rises to 300 in Kerala Landslides
Rescue work is still underway in the southern Indian state’s affected northwest district and help lines have been set up.
Updated on August 4, 2024: For UAE’s large Malayali population, there is bad news from back home. Kerala’s scenic hill-station district of Wayanad was rattled by a terrible landslide in the wee hours of Tuesday morning, July 30th. The catastrophe has taken the lives of 300 people, leaving thousands of others injured and hundreds missing. To make matters worse, a key bridge in the area has collapsed from the impact of the natural disaster, severely hindering rescue operations. In some encounraging news however, state authorities say that thousands have been evacuated from affected areas.
Kerala’s Chief Minister – Pinarayi Vijayan – has engaged army engineers to set up alternate bridges and security forces with sniffer dogs and drones are searching for people possibly trapped under the rubble. Over 2,000 persons are reportedly engaged in the search and rescue mission. Meanwhile however, internet and mobile connectivity has been badly impacted in the area, adversity affecting the ongoing operations. Those who died were mostly farm hands and their next-of-kin who were asleep in temporary provisional tents when the disaster occurred. Latest reports state that the bodies of the deceased were most probably swept away by the adjacent Chaliyar River. With the Met department forecasting more powerful rainstorms, teams from the Indian Air Force and the Navy have swung into action.
These will assist with the further evacuation of people from endangered areas nearby. India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi has passed on assurances of assistance from the Centre. UAE expats who are worried about their friends and family in Wayanad can avail of two-up helpline numbers: 8086010833 and 965693889.
Meanwhile, CM Vijayan has announced Rs. 2 Lakh (200,000) compensatory packages for relatives of those killed in the landslide and Rs. 50,000 for the families of the injured. The state leader has also announced the cnonstruction of alternate housing for those who have lost their domiciles in the disaster. Crores of rupees have been released from the Centre's Disaster Relief Fund towards rehabilitation in the affected area. It looks like Climate Change is rearing its ugly head in one of India’s most beautiful districts. Indeed, this natural disaster has partially ruined a space known for its trekking trails, waterfalls, bird-watching and captivating tribal heritage.
