Wayanad: Lok Sabha LoP & Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra visit the epicentre of landslides in Punchirimattam, Mundakkai of Wayanad district on Friday, August 02, 2024.(IANS)
Wayanad, August 2 (IANS) The death toll in the Wayanad landslide disaster on Friday reached 297, said officials, adding that 206 people continue to be missing.
The rescue operations continued on the fourth day of the state’s worst-ever natural calamity.
More than one thousand-member rescue team drawn from various forces besides locals divided into nine groups are working tirelessly to help people and search for the missing ones.
The worst-affected landslide areas of Churalpara, Velarimala, Mundakayil, and Punchirimadom.
With a 190-foot Bailey Bridge now erected, the connectivity between Churalmalai and Mundakayil has been restored.
Sniffer dogs have also been pressed into service. The rescue team is also equipped with heavy earth-moving equipment.
An officer heading the operations said there were some houses buried in one of the affected places where they were headed.
“Around 10 houses were there at the place we are reaching soon and according to what we are being told there might be some people, maybe alive,” said the official.
Currently, there are now 91 relief camps where 9,328 people have been evacuated safely.
Wayanad disaster: Cong to build 100 houses, says Rahul Gandhi
On the second day of his visit to the landslide-affected areas in Wayanad, the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi said that the Congress party will build 100 houses for the people affected by the tragedy.
He was accompanied by Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, who is the Congress candidate from the constituency.
The two visited areas like Punchirimadom and Mundakayil and also went to various relief camps.
After visiting some relief camps, Rahul Gandhi said, "I have been here since yesterday. As I said yesterday, this is a terrible tragedy. We went to the site yesterday. We went to the camps, we assessed the situation there. Today, we had a meeting with the administration and the panchayat. They briefed us on the number of casualties they expect, the number of houses that have been damaged and their strategy. We have said that we are here to help in any way possible. Congress family would like to commit to building 100 plus houses here."
"I think, Kerala has not seen this type of a tragedy in one area, and I am going to raise it in Delhi and also with the chief minister here that this is a different level of tragedy and should be treated differently," added the former MP from Wayanad.
The number of dead has now reached 302 and 206 more continue to be missing. A rescue team of over 1,500 people are engaged in searching for the missing people in the worst-affected landslide areas of Churalpara, Velarimala, Mundakayil and Punchirimadom.
Faux pas: After huge criticism Kerala Govt withdraws circular on Wayanad disaster
The Pinarayi Vijayan government came under duress after a government order surfaced on Thursday asking the scientific community to keep their opinions to themselves and not to air them publicly.
The Government Order also mentioned that scientists should take prior permission if they are to undertake a study.
As soon as this became news, there was a barrage of criticism from numerous sides on the notice of the Vijayan government, which they saw as a gag order.
With this gaining traction, Chief Secretary Dr V Venu on Thursday night came out with another order stating that the previous order had been withdrawn.
"This advisory was not issued with the intent to restrain the scientific community of the state from conducting studies and providing insights. The objective was to discourage statements and opinions by persons belonging to scientific institutions of the state, that may be misinterpreted or misquoted to create panic and confusion among the public, particularly during this sensitive time," read the Chief Secretary’s order.
Meanwhile a leading vernacular news portal ‘Marunadan Malayalee’ which is known for its critical stand against the Vijayan government found itself in a spot of bother when an FIR was suo moto registered after its editor Shajan Skariah aired a news about the Chief Minister’s Distress Relief Fund.
Incidentally this is not the first time that Skariah has come under duress from the Vijayan administration, as he is fighting a few other cases too.
Meanwhile, the toll at the Wayanad landslide on Friday morning touched 297 and 206 people continued to be missing even as the rescue teams continued their search among the debris in Churalpara, Velarimala, Mundakayil, and Punchirimadom.
There are now 91 relief camps for the 9,328 people who have been evacuated from the disaster area.
