Wayanad Landslides Toll Reaches 167: Kerala Was Warned 7 Days Before Disaster, Says Amit Shah

Wayanad: A day after torrential rains triggered massive landslides in Kerala's Wayanad, the death toll reached 167 on Wednesday. Meanwhile, hundreds were injured and several people were still missing after massive landslides struck the hilly areas near Meppadi in Wayanad.

Multiple agencies, including the NDRF, and the Army have been roped in to carry out the rescue and search operations. For the unversed, three landslides struck Wayanad within a span of four hours on Tuesday. Mundakkai, Chooralmala, Attamala, and Noolpuzha in Wayanad district were some of the worst hit by the landslides. Several people were feared to have been washed away in the Chaliyar river.

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said due to the intense rainfall, landslides occurred, and an entire region was destroyed. The Kerala State Disaster Management Authority (KSDMA) said that the Fireforce and NDRF teams were on the scene, and more NDRF teams were on the way to assist. 

Earlier on Tuesday, the Kerala government declared state mourning for two days. CM Vijayan said the state government was deeply saddened by the tragic incident that claimed numerous lives and resulted in the widespread destruction of homes and other property. An official notification issued by Chief Secretary V Venu declared official mourning on July 30 and 31. As per protocol, the National Flag will be kept at half-mast and all public functions and celebrations will be cancelled.

Wayanad Landslides: Hundreds Feared Trapped - Latest Updates

• Death toll reaches 167
• Search and rescue operations continue at landslide-affected Chooralmala in Wayanad. 

• Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Wednesday announced a compensation of Rs 5 lakh to the families of Kannadigas who died in landslides in neighbouring Kerala.

• CM Vijayan stated the alert issued by the Geological Survey of India on July 29 for Wayanad, came under the central govt. He added that a green alert was issued, which meant a low possibility of a landslide. 

• As per the State Revenue Department, the death toll in Wayanad landslides has risen to 164 (male-89, female-74, unidentified-1)
• As per reports, the death toll has climbed to 224 and around 225 are said to be missing.
• Speaking at the Lok Sabha, Union Home Minister Amit Shah shed light on the Wayanad landslide and said, “This is a federal structure; we had warned the state to evacuate people.” 
• As per reports, there are around 8,017 people, including 19 pregnant women, in relief camps.
• CM Vijayan said the rescue operations in Wayanad were continuing at full scale. He added that it was an 'unprecedented and painful disaster.' He said, “So far, 144 bodies have been recovered- 79 men and 64 women. There are still 191 people missing. Efforts are being made to evacuate as many people as possible from the disaster area, and necessary medical treatment is being provided to those who have been rescued.”
• West Bengal Governor Dr CV Ananda Bose, on Wednesday, visited relief camps and interacted with survivors in landslide-hit Wayanad in Kerala. 

• Landslide warning was issued to Kerala a week prior then why state govt didn't act on time? says Amit Shah 
• IMD issued an 'orange' alert issued in Malappuram, Kozhikode, Wayanad, Kannur, and Kasaragod districts.
• A 'Yellow' alert was issued for Pathanamthitta, Alappuzha, Kottayam, Ernakulam, Idukki, Thrissur, and Palakkad.
• No rain warnings for Thiruvananthapuram and Kollam.
• PM Modi is closely monitoring the situation in landslide hit, Union Minister George Kurian said, “The situation is being monitored by the central government at the highest level. The Honourable Prime Minister is monitoring the situation and has deputed me to visit the affected areas. Both control rooms of the Ministry of Home Affairs are monitoring the situation 24x7 and providing all possible assistance to the state.”
• The Indian Army personnel on Wednesday carried out a daring rescue mission, saving 19 civilians stranded in the Ela Resort and Vana Rani Resort, located beyond landslide-hit Mundakkai village in Kerala's Wayanad district.
• Union Minister George Kurian has said that PM Narendra Modi is closely monitoring the landslide situation in the district, with the central government assuring all possible assistance to the state for the rescue efforts of those affected by the tragedy.
• Toll has mounted to 158, as per state revenue department.
• According to Kerala PRD (Public Relations Department), 60 teams from Ezhimala Naval Academy reached Chooralmala for the rescue operation. Meanwhile, there are 45 sailors, five officers, 6 fire guards and a doctor in the group.
• Toll climbs to 153, as per the Republic's sources.
• Death toll rises to 148, ANI reported quoting the state revenue department.
• The Kerala Health Minister was injured after her car met with a minor accident near Manjeri in Malappuram district while she was on her way to Wayanad.
•  The post-mortem of 143 bodies has been completed.
• As two-day mourning is being observed in the state after Wayanad landslides claimed 143 lives, the national flag is kept at half-mast at Kerala Government Secretariat.

• Toll mounts to 146
• Rescue and search operation is underway in Wayanad's Chooralmala after a landslide was reported on Tuesday which claimed the lives of 143 people.

• The death toll has risen to 143.
• The IMD, on Tuesday, issued a red alert for eight districts including  Wayanad, and an orange alert was issued for Tuesday for Pathanamthitta,  Alappuzha, Kottayam and Ernakulam districts.
• Defence Ministry on its X account said, As tragic disaster struck at Waynad in wee hours today, Indian Armed Forces swung into immediate action and 300 Military personnel were moved forthwith to commence rescue operations. During the day, additional columns of Army, Naval teams and helicopters from Air Force were mobilised to assist the rescue and relief efforts.  All out efforts are underway as additional troops, heavy engineering equipment, Rescue Dog teams and other essential relief stores are being airlifted by Service aircrafts from Trivendrum, Bengaluru and Delhi."

• In the aftermath of the torrential rains and landslides, the government in Kerala, on Tuesday, declared a holiday for all schools and colleges in Wayanad, Malappuram, Palakkad, Thrissur, Idukki and Ernakulam.
• Vijayan on Tuesday convened a high-level meeting to coordinate rescue operations in Wayanad and discuss further steps in the wake of the massive landslides in the hilly district that claimed the lives of at least 123 people and injured over 128.
  At the meeting with top bureaucrats from various departments and senior police officers, Vijayan assessed the rescue operations as well as reviewed the coordination with central government agencies, the deployment of disaster response forces, and the health and safety precautions and facilities in the relief camps, a statement issued by his office said.
  He attended the meeting at the office of the Disaster Management Authority, which coordinates rescue operations at the state level. (with PTI inputs)
• Congress MP Rahul Gandhi took to X and informed that he had to cancel his scheduled visit to Wayanad on Wednesday. He wrote, "Priyanka and I were scheduled to visit Wayanad tomorrow to meet with families affected by the landslide and take stock of the situation.  However, due to incessant rains and adverse weather conditions we have been informed by authorities that we will not be able to land.  I want to assure the people of Wayanad that we will visit as soon as possible. In the meantime, we will continue to monitor the situation closely and provide all necessary assistance.  Our thoughts are with the people of Wayanad at this difficult time."

• As per the latest update, at least 123 persons were killed and 128 injured in massive landslides triggered by torrential rains in Wayanad on Tuesday. With hundreds trapped under the debris, sparking fears of mounting fatalities, rescue agencies were racing against time to pull out any survivors.
  Government sources said 123 people have been killed so far in the tragedy. (with PTI inputs)
• Kerala CM on Tuesday evening said around 93 people lost their lives and 128 have been injured. He added that 3,069 people are being treated in relief camps.
• Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin spoke to his Kerala counterpart Pinarayi Vijayan about the landslides caused by heavy rainfall, assured him of the state's full support in rescue and relief efforts and announced the immediate despatch of a specialist team to assist the neighbouring state.
  The chief minister directed officials in Tamil Nadu to release Rs 5 crore in funds to Kerala for relief activities and tasked them with sending a rescue team of personnel from the fire and disaster response forces and medical staff to assist in the rescue and relief work there. (with PTI inputs)
• Heavy engineering equipment and rescue dog teams are being airlifted and disaster relief teams have been dispatched by the Indian Coast Guard to provide aid and succour to the injured and trapped.

• Speaking about the rescue operations, Defence PRO Sudha S Namboothiri said, “...Around 130 soldiers are moving ahead towards Wayanad. Most of them will be airlifted by Indian Air Force aircraft and the rest will be proceeding on the road...Defence Security Corps Centre Kannur with its 200 soldiers have already gone there and the Territorial Army 122 infantry battalion Madras, they are also there...It seems ward number ten is in a really bad shape and they have been doing their best...”

• CM Vijayan said, "Kerala Bank has already contributed Rs 50 lakh to CMDRF. The Cochin International Airport (CIAL)* has pledged Rs 2 crore, and Tamil Nadu CM MK Stalin has promised Rs 5 crore in aid. In response to the disaster in Wayanad, the state has declared two days of official mourning. Public events and celebrations have been postponed. We request that the national flag be flown at half-mast as part of the mourning period."
• Vijayan said, "Additional Kaniv 108 ambulances have been brought in. 3,069 people are in relief camps in Wayanad alone. Five ministers are coordinating the efforts. Due to adverse weather conditions, people were relocated, and an orange alert was declared. A dog squad will be arriving for the rescue operations. Authorities' instructions must be followed precisely. The local administration has been directed to ensure that drinking water, food, and other essentials are provided to those in the camps. The IG of the Northern Range, DIG, and the Additional DG of Law and Order will coordinate the operations. Everyone must avoid situations where people are merely spectators at disaster sites. Control rooms have been established under various government departments. I have instructed that officials in essential services be prepared and on standby due to the heavy rain conditions."
• CM Vijayan said, “321 members of the Fire Force have been deployed in Wayanad. The services of the Army have also been made available. An NDRF team of 60 members has reached Wayanad, and an 89-member team from Bengaluru is on the way. Upon learning of the disaster, both the Prime Minister and Rahul Gandhi, along with various party leaders, have offered their assistance. They have assured us that we will work together to address this crisis.”
• CM Vijayan said, "We have arranged the best possible treatment for the injured. Many people are still trapped under the debris. We have opened 45 relief camps in Wayanad and a total of 118 camps across the state, accommodating 5,531 people. The fire force, NDRF, and police are working together. Various divisions of the Army and Navy are coordinating the rescue operations."
• CM Vijayan said, "The landslide in Wayanad is a heart-wrenching disaster. There was extremely heavy rainfall. An entire area has been wiped out. We have recovered 93 bodies so far, but the numbers may change. There are 128 people receiving treatment for injuries. Many who went to sleep last night have been swept away."
• Indian Air Force deployed a disaster relief team to Wayanad that claimed the lives of 93 people.

• Indian Army, NDRF carried out a rescue operation in the Chooralmala area of Wayanad where a landslide occurred earlier today that killed over 80 people.

• Expertly-trained dogs from the Army's elite canine unit of breeds such as Belgian Malinois, Labradors, and German Shepherds, which can smell human remains and even the faintest of breath buried deep under mud, are on their way to the landslide-ravaged Meppadi in Wayanad.
  These dogs have been trained for several years at the prestigious Remount Veterinary Corps Centre (RVC) in Meerut, Uttar Pradesh.
  Based on a special request from the Chief Minister of Kerala, the Canine Squad of the Army, specially trained for operations in disaster areas, will be flown to Wayanad to sniff out signs of life so that people trapped deep under the mud at the landslide site can be rescued, and also to recover the human remains of those who were not fortunate enough to survive nature's onslaught. (with PTI inputs)
•  Congress' General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra extended her condolences to the families of the victims of the devastating landslide. She said, "I am deeply saddened to see the devastation caused by the massive landslide near Meppadi, Wayanad.  My heartfelt condolences and prayers are with all those who have lost loved ones. I hope and pray that everyone is brought to safety as soon as possible. I urge the government to take immediate action to expedite relief and rescue operations and request UDF workers to step forward to do all they can to be of support and comfort to all those affected by this tragedy."

• Warming of the Arabian Sea is allowing the formation of deep cloud systems, leading to extremely heavy rainfall in Kerala in a shorter period and increasing the possibility of landslides, a senior climate scientist said on Tuesday.
  Extremely heavy rain triggered a series of landslides in the hilly areas of Kerala's Wayanad district early on Tuesday, leaving at least 80 people dead. Many were feared trapped under the debris.
  S Abhilash, the director of the Advanced Centre for Atmospheric Radar Research at Cochin University of Science and Technology (CUSAT) said Kasargod, Kannur, Wayanad, Calicut, and Malappuram districts have been receiving copious rainfall due to the active monsoon offshore trough affecting the entire Konkan region for the last two weeks.
  The soil was saturated after two weeks of rainfall. A deep mesoscale cloud system formed off the coast in the Arabian Sea on Monday and led to extremely heavy rain in Wayanad, Calicut, Malappuram, and Kannur, resulting in localised landslides. (with PTI inputs)
• Issuing a statement on the devastating landslides, Wayanad MP Rahul Gandhi said, "The devastation unfolding in Wayanad is heartbreaking. I have urged the Union government in Parliament to extend all possible support, including increased compensation and immediate release to the bereaved families. Our country has witnessed an alarming rise in landslides in recent years. The need of the hour is a comprehensive action plan to address the growing frequency of natural calamities in our ecologically fragile regions."

• Kerala government declared official mourning in the state on Tuesday and Wednesday after at least 70 people lost their lives in a landslide incident in Wayanad.

• The NDRF team, on Tuesday, carried out a rescue operation as massive damage occurred due to rain and landslide in the Chooralmala area of Wayanad in Kerala

• Wayanad Landslides: Death Toll

As per the state Health Minister, the toll in Wayanad landslides has risen to over 70 and three of them are children.

• Control Room Opened, Helpline Numbers Issued

Health Department - National Health Mission has opened a control room and issued helpline numbers  9656938689 and 8086010833 for emergency assistance. 

• Air Force Helicopters Depart for Rescue Ops

Two Air Force helicopters Mi-17 and an ALH will depart from Sulur at 7.30 am.

• Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan Issues Statement

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said that all government agencies have joined the search and rescue operations in the wake of massive landslides that struck various hilly areas near Meppadi in Kerala's Wayanad district, leaving hundreds feared to be trapped.

• Rescue Operations Underway

The operations will be coordinated, and state ministers will reach the hilly district to lead the rescue activities, Chief Minister Vijayan said in a statement issued by his office.

• Official Statement by Kerala CMO

"250 members of Fire and Rescue, Civil Defence, NDRF and Local Emergency Response Team are involved in the rescue operation in Wayanad Churalmala. An additional team of NDRF has been directed to reach the spot immediately."

• Worst-Affected Areas

The Mundakkai, Chooralmala, Attamala, and Noolpuzha villages were among the areas affected and cut off by the landslides, authorities said.

• ‘No Complete Information of Those Missing and Dead’

In a video message, UDF MLA T Siddique said district authorities were drawing up plans to airlift people from the Mundakkai area. "Currently, we have no complete information about those missing and dead in the landslides. Many areas have been cut off. NDRF personnel are trying to reach those places." he said.

• Hospitals on Alert

All hospitals including Vaithiri, Kalpatta, Meppadi and Mananthavadi hospitals are ready.

• Kerala Health Minister's Statement

Kerala Health Minister Veena George said that all health workers have arrived for service during the night.More teams of health workers will be deployed in Wayanad.

• Several People Evacuated from Affected Areas

Meanwhile, as per district authorities, several families have been moved to the various camps or homes of their relatives in the wake of the landslides.

• Former Wayanad MP Rahul Gandhi Reacts to Landslides in District

“I am deeply anguished by the massive landslides near Meppadi in Wayanad. My heartfelt condolences go out to the bereaved families who have lost their loved ones…"

• PM Modi on Wayanad Landslides

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has also extended his prayers to those suffering in the Wayanad landslides.

• ‘48 people are under treatment’: WIMS Medical College

According to WIMS Medical College, 48 people are under treatment and 4 bodies have been brought here so far.

• PM Modi Announces Ex-Gratia

Prime Minister announced an ex-gratia of Rs. 2 lakhs from PMNRF for the next of kin of each deceased in the landslides in parts of Wayanad. The injured would be given Rs. 50,000.

• ‘Extremely Pained By The Landslides In Wayanad’: Mallikarjun Kharge

• Rescue Ops Becoming Extremely Difficult: CPI MP P Sandosh Kumar

• Union Minister George Kurien on Wayanad Landslides

• Wayanad Landslides: Congress MP K Suresh Reacts

• Wayanad Landslides: Army Receives Requisition to Provide Aid

• Defence Minister Rajnath Singh ‘Deeply Anguished’ with Lives Lost in Wayanad Landslides

• Congress MP KC Venugopal Gives Adjournment Motion Notice

• JP Nadda Expresses Grief over Wayanad Landslides

• Wayanad Landslides: At least 19 Dead, Rescue Ops Continue

• ‘Houses and Schools Completely Destroyed’

Describing the horrific situation of Wayanad after it was hit by two massive landslides, locals are saying that their houses and the schools in the area have been completely destroyed.

• ‘Water and Mud Entering Homes’

Water and mud is entering their houses and sweeping away people; hundreds remain trapped and quite a few are stranded.

• Chooralmala Town Bridge Collapses

As an effect of the landslides, the Chooralmala Town Bridge has collapsed in the Chooralmala area. The bridge collapse has restricted access, further worsening the situation in Wayanad, making rescue operations more difficult.

• Wayanad Landslides: Suspension of Business Notice in RS

IUML MP P. V. Abdul Wahab has given a Suspension of Business Notice in Rajya Sabha under Rule 267 to discuss the landslide that occurred in Wayanad due to torrential rains.

• Kerala State Administration Requisitions Rescue Columns Of 122 Infantry Battalion (TA) Madras

• Train Halted due to Heavy Rain in Kerala; Several Cancelled

• Wayanad Landslides: Over 70 People Injured

• Amit Shah Reacts to Wayanad Landslides

“Deeply concerned by the incidents of landslides in Wayanad, Kerala. The NDRF is conducting search and rescue operations on a war footing. The second team is on its way to further strengthen the response operation. My condolences to the families of the deceased and prayers for the speedy recovery of the injured.”

• Red Alert Issued for 4 Kerala Districts

IMD issued Red alert for 4 districts - Kozhikode, Malappuram, Wayanad and Kasaragod.

• Kerala Rains: IMD Issues Orange Alert

Orange alert in Pathanamthitta, Alappuzha, Kottayam, Ernakulam, Idukki, Thrissur and Palakkad has been issued by the IMD.

• Around 101 People Rescued Till Now

• Police Drones and Dogs to Be Deployed for Search

• Tamil Nadu CM Extends Support

"The government of Tamil Nadu is willing to extend any logistical or manpower support that may be needed in this hour of crisis to our brother state Kerala. Deeply pained to learn about the massive landslides in Wayanad and the consequent loss of priceless lives. I am given to understand that many people are still trapped in the area. I am sure the rescue operations that are in full swing will save them all."

• Department of Information and Public Relations Opens Media Control Rooms