Five still untraced after Wayanad landslide; rescue operation continues: DIG

Wayanad (Kerala), Jul 7 (PTI) Government agencies and residents are carrying out a coordinated search-and-rescue operation to trace those missing after the landslide at Kalladi in Wayanad district, North Zone DIG K Karthick said on Tuesday. Speaking to reporters after visiting the landslide site, Karthick said the bodies of three persons had been recovered till evening, while nine others had been injured in the incident. “The deceased and the injured were engaged in work at the construction site. One of the injured is a police sub-inspector who reached the spot for rescue operations. Apart from that, a woman resident of the area is also among the injured,” he said. Karthick said rescue teams were also trying to clear the road buried under the debris, as several people remained stranded on the other side of the landslide. Earth-moving machinery was being used to remove the debris to ascertain whether anyone was trapped beneath it, and rescue operations would continue through the night, he said. “We have been informed that five more persons are yet to be traced. However, we cannot confirm that there are more people trapped. A clearer picture will emerge as the rescue operation progresses,” he said. The deputy inspector general of police said the Wayanad district administration had made lighting arrangements and deployed volunteers to assist in the night-long rescue operation. “All departments are coordinating and functioning at full strength as part of the rescue operation,” he said. PTI TBA SSK