Kochi: Army personnel on Sunday have launched for rescue operations at Kavalappara near Nilambur, one of the worst hit by land-slide in heavy rains three days ago. The rescue workers have recovered four more bodies from the area taking the total to 13 while army personnel are searching for another 50 persons suspected to be buried under the 50-ft mount of slush and mud.
The total death toll mounts to 76 in the state as more bodies were recovered from Puthumala in Wayanad and fresh mishaps linked to flood fury in other parts of the state.
Army and National Disaster Relief Forces (NDRF) combined to rescue 15 persons out of the over 200 trapped in four tribal settlements in Munderi region, 25 km away from Nilambur for the past four days. The 15 persons including women and children in the estate of the Plantation Corporation in Vaniampuzha were rescued by using ropes in an exercise lasting eight hours after the attempt to airlift them in helicopters failed.
Food and water have been air dropped earlier in the day for over 200 inmates of Vaniampuzha, Iruttukuthi, Kumbalapp-ara and Tharippapetti colonies are cut-off following collapse of the bridge across River Chaliyar connecting the region to outside world. Two forest officials are also trapped in the area.
According to the information given by army sources 75 persons in a tribal settlement remained trapped in the area without food.
Six persons from the settlement swam across the flooded river to reach Munderi and informed the situation in the settlement. Efforts are on to reach them food materials.
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan told reporters that people needed to remain on alert for the next two more days in view of chances of heavy rains in hilly areas in the state. The Indian Meteorological Department has placed Idukki, Malappuram, Wayanad, Kozhikode, Kannur and Kasargod districts in orange alert warning with possibility of isolated heavy rainfall.
A 30-member team of army personnel from the Madras Regiment reached Kavalappara on Sunday morning to help the rescue efforts. The members of the team are having experience in undertaking rescue work in places afflicted by land-slide and land-slips.
In Puthumala in Wayanad districts the search for seven more persons continued on Sunday as bodies of 10 out of the 17 persons buried under debris were recovered. District collector M.R. Ajayakumar meanwhile said the final toll may differ as collecting the data of the affected people from other states remains a difficult task. The estimate of 17 persons was reached after the district panchayat, district administration and Harrison Malayalam Ltd made a joint verification of the people following the mishap. Initial reports have placed the number of persons caught in the mishap at 40.
Indian Air Force continued the humanitarian assistance in flood hit areas in Kerala and Tamil Nadu. Southern Air Command has deployed medium lift helicopters at Kozhikode for quick response to any request by State Administration. About 450 Kg of relief material was distributed to the disaster affected areas by the IAF in the two states. The presence of IAF enabled rescue of 11 civilians trapped in Nilgiris and airlifted to Coimbatore for immediate medical assistance.
