"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," Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said.
The death toll in Idukki landslide has risen to 26, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said on Saturday. The Chief Minister said that monsoon fury continues to be severe in the state.
"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 said: "The families of the dead and injured will be assisted in all possible ways. Emergency relief of Rs 5 lakh each was announced for the families of the deceased on Friday. All necessary treatment will be provided at the expense of the government."
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 78 people were injured in the tragedy while 12 people were rescued. All arrangements have been made for rescue operations," he said.
A red alert has been issued for Idukki and all of North Kerala. The districts which fall under the red alert zones include Malappuram, Wayanad, Kannur, Kasaragod, and Kozhikode. The IMD has also sounded orange alerts for the districts of Kottayam, Ernakulam, Palakkad, Thrissur, Pathanamthitta, and Alappuzha.
Rescue and search operations in Pettimudi resumed early in the morning. Two National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams are involved in the rescue operation.
"Swamp formation in the area is a challenge to rescue operations. On the way from Rajamalai to Pettimudi, there are landslides and trees in many places. This prevents large vehicles from reaching the spot of the accident," the CM said.
The total damage in the Idukki district was extensive. The bridge over the Periyar river was washed away.
Four landslides occurred at Chekuthanmala, the source of the Kattappanayar. Large scale cardamom cultivation was destroyed. About 10 acres of farmland in the eastern part of the district were washed away.
About half of the Nirappelkada-Kochu bridge on the Thekkady-Kochi state highway was washed away. So far 21 relief camps have been opened in four taluks of the district. About 580 people have been relocated.
(With agency inputs)
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 "India, Kerala, landslide, Kerala rains, Idukki Landslide")
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