Published 21:52 IST, August 8th 2020
Death toll in Idukki landslide rises to 26; Kerala CM announces Rs 5 lakh ex-gratia
As the monsoon fury continues to be severe in Kerala, the death toll in Idukki landslide has risen to 26, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said.
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As the monsoon fury continues to be severe in Kerala, the death toll in Idukki landslide has risen to 26, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said on Saturday. In an unfortunate incident, extreme rainfall led to a landslide at the Nyamakad estate of the Kannan Devan Hills Plantation Company on Friday.
The Chief Minister said that Revenue Minister E Chandrasekharan and Power Minister M M Mani are camping at the site and leading the rescue operations.
"A total of 26 deaths have been confirmed in the landslide in Rajamalai. In addition to the 15 bodies found on Friday, the bodies of 11 people were found on Saturday. Three of them have not been identified. The deceased have been identified as Raja, Vijila (47), Kuttiraj (48), Pavantai, Manikandan (30), Deepak (18), Shanmukha Iyer (58) and Prabhu (55)," CM Vijayan said.
"Rescue operations in Rajamalai are on in full swing. There are heartbreaking scenes. The bodies of those who disappeared at once are being buried together," he added.
He further assured assistance to the families of the dead and injured in all possible ways and added that all necessary treatment will be provided at the expense of the government.
CM Vijayan announces ex-gratia
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan announced ex-gratia of Rs. 5 lakh for the kin of those who lost their lives due to the landslide in Rajamalai, Idukki. He added that the state government would bear the treatment cost of those injured in the landslide. Revealing that the death toll had increased, he lamented that adverse weather condition was slowing down the rescue operations.
Acknowledging that the Kerala government had sought the help of the Indian Air Force, he concluded that the weather condition was not conducive for airlifting people
The Idukki landslide
In an unfortunate incident, extreme rainfall led to a landslide at the Nyamakad estate of the Kannan Devan Hills Plantation Company on Friday. As per reports, at least 30 settlements home to nearly 78 people have been buried under the debris. The police, a 50-member special fire force along with a National Disaster Response Force unit stationed in Idukki district have jointly mounted rescue and relief operations amid inclement weather.
While the persons with minor injuries are being treated at the Tata Hospital in Munnar, the critical individuals are being shifted to Idukki and Ernakulum. It is perceived that the area's remoteness, broken communication lines, heavy fog, and uninterrupted rainfall are impacting the rescue and relief operations.
Moreover, the Idukki district is particularly vulnerable to landslides. The India Meteorological Department has issued a red alert for the Pathanamthitta, Kottayam, Idukki, and Wayanad districts predicting extremely heavy rainfall.
21:52 IST, August 8th 2020