• By Nidhi Giri
  • Sat, 03 Aug 2024 09:01 AM (IST)
  • Source:JND

Wayanad Landslides: Rescue teams are continuously working to spot survivors and recover bodies buried under the debris of the devastating Wayanad landslides using advanced technical gadgets and dogs. Search operations entered the fifth day on Saturday with 300 people still missing. Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan informed on Facebook that radars are detecting even slight movements, offering glimmers of hope during Kerala's worst natural calamities.

Wayanad Landslides: Latest Updates

- The number of bodies recovered from the Wayanad landslides has risen to 308. Meanwhile, around 300 people are still missing with hope of their survival.

- A family of four was rescued from an isolated house near Padavetti Kunnu, giving hope to hundreds of rescuers searching for survivors.

- At least 40 rescue teams, along with cadaver dogs, are carrying out search operations in six zones of the landslide-hit areas. The dogs are being used for their sense of smell to help find survivors trapped beneath the debris.

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- Four kids along with their parents belonging to a tribal community were saved by forest officers. The team, led by Kalpetta Range Forest Officer K Hashis, trekked deep into the forest to rescue the family.

- Indian Army jawans constructed a temporary bridge for the machinery to pass through, to facilitate search and rescue operation in Punchirimattom, Wayanad.

- An official involved in the operation said that a "blue signal", signalling potential breath sign, was received on the radar while searching the area of a house in the severely affected Mundakkai village. However, the search concluded on Friday evening as the rescue personnel determined it was unlikely anyone was alive under the debris.

- The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted generally cloudy skies with occasional spells of rain or thundershowers in Wayanad on Saturday.

- US president Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden expressed condolences, praising the bravery of Indian service members and first responders. "We mourn with the families who have lost loved ones and continue to hold the people of India in our thoughts during this difficult time," said the White House.

- The Centre issued a draft notification to declare over 56,800 square kilometres of the Western Ghats, including 13 villages in Kerala's Wayanad, as an Ecologically Sensitive Area (ESA). This notification came a day after the landslides claimed over 300 lives in Wayanad.

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- Attacking the Centre, the Congress party accused the former of delaying the 'ecologically sensitive area' tag for a portion of the Western Ghats, claiming it is directly responsible for the human tragedy in Wayanad.

- Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh moved a Privilege Motion notice in the Rajya Sabha against Union home minister Amit Shah for his "Early Warning" claims regarding the Wayanad landslide. Ramesh stated that Shah misled the Rajya Sabha with false statements on early warnings, constituting a breach of privilege and contempt of the house.

(With Agency Inputs)