Kerala landslides: 6,759 survivors take shelter in relief camps in Wayanad

Rescue personnel have safely relocated 6,759 people from 1,983 families to the relief camps. Pic PTI

The rescue and relief operations in the landslide-hit areas of Kerala's Wayanad entered the seventh consecutive day on Monday.

According to the State Health Ministry, the death toll stands at 308 as of August 2. Till August 4, the search and rescue operations personnel recovered 220 bodies while 180 people are still missing. The number of missing people went down from the earlier 206 after the authorities were able to get in touch with some of them over the phone, they said on August 4.

A total of 53 camps have been set up in Wayanad as part of the relief operations.

As per the latest update, 6,759 people from 1,983 families were shifted to these camps. They include 2,501 males, 2,677 females, 1,581 children, and 20 pregnant women.

Sixteen of the camps have been set up in Meppadi and other gram panchayats. A total of 2,514 people - including 723 families, 943 men, 972 women, 599 children, and six pregnant women - have been shifted to these shelters as per the latest data.

Additionally, there are rescue camps at SDMLP school and D-Paul Public School at Kalpetta, RCLP school at Chundel, GHS school near Rippon, WMO college at Muttil, Rippon new building, and Arappatta.

Massive landslides hit Chooralmala and Mundakkai of Wayanad on July 30 wreaking mass devastation and loss of lives and property. The Chief Minister's Office informed that night patrolling of the police has been instituted in Chooralmala and Mundakkai areas. The CMO statement warned action against those trespassing in the houses or areas of the victims at night. "No one should enter the houses or areas of these places at night without the permission of the police for rescue operations," the statement added.

Meanwhile, late on the night of August 4, the district administration carried out the mass burial of the mortal remains of the unidentified people killed in the landslides. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan had earlier directed the district administration to carry out the formalities with interfaith prayers. Upon the Kerala Government's request, the Indian Air Force, on August 3, airlifted one ZAWER and four REECO radars from Siachen and Delhi for the search operations.

(With ANI and PTI inputs)