Published 19:38 IST, August 9th 2020
Idukki landslides claim 16 more lives as death toll rises to 42, rescue ops underway
Continuing its wrath in Kerala, the landslide in Idukki claimed 16 more lives on Sunday as the total death toll due to the natural calamity rose to 42.
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Continuing its wrath in Kerala, the landslide in Idukki claimed 16 more lives on Sunday as the total death toll due to the natural calamity rose to 42. Idukki District Information Office has released the list of 42 persons who were deceased in Rajamala landslide. 2 NDRF teams consisting of 57 people each, a full unit of Fire and Rescue team. a 50-member team that received special training, 24-member team from Kottayam, and 27-member team from Thiruvananthapuram have been deployed for the search operations.
Currently, 105 members of Kerala Armed Police, 21 members of local police, and 10 members of the Rapid Action Force are also on the spot. MoS External Affairs V Muraleedhran and Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala also visited the site to take stock of the situation. Kerala Forest Minister K Raju has also visited the site on Sunday. Sniffer dogs were used by the rescue team to help retrieve many of the bodies after a colony of tea plantation workers was buried under slush after heavy rains triggered the landslide.
The Idukki district administration expects the number of missing people to go up as many students had returned to their homes in the area due to the pandemic.
Kerala: Minister of State for External Affairs V Muraleedharan visited Rajamala in Idukki district today, where a landslide occurred on August 7th, to inspect the rescue operations there. Death toll in the incident rose to 42 after 16 bodies were recovered today. pic.twitter.com/DIg9s4Ll6t
— ANI (@ANI) August 9, 2020
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. Earlier on Friday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi also announced an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh each for the kin of those who lost their lives in the landslides. A compensation of Rs 50,000 from the PMNRF for the injured was also announced by the Prime Minister.
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. 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.
19:37 IST, August 9th 2020