Wayanad landslides: Death toll rises to 338, 280 people still missing, rescue mission to enter fifth day

MEPPADI: 18 bodies were found on Friday during a large-scale search operation held in landslide-hit Mundakkai, where more earth-moving equipment was brought through the Bailey bridge built by the army. Five bodies and 10 body parts were recovered from the Chaliyar river. With this, the total death toll has risen to 338. 280 people are yet to be found even though 4 days have passed since the landslide. Meanwhile, as per government figures, the death toll stands at 210.

The search for victims trapped in the mud and rubble continues with the help of manpower, machinery, and advanced sensors. Forty groups are simultaneously conducting the search in six areas. The search will resume on Saturday.

640 teams, including the Army, Navy and various sections under the state government, are involved in the search operation. Apart from the army's helicopter, the helicopter hired by the police also conducted inspections at the disaster area and Chaliyar shores.

Apart from the state health department and the Army Medical Services, a seven-member team appointed by the Tamil Nadu government is also present to provide medical services in the region. 84 people are undergoing treatment in various hospitals in Wayanad, Kozhikode and Malappuram districts. 187 persons were discharged.

No human presence found in spot where thermal scanner detected breath signal
The rescue team ended the search on the fourth day as no signs of life were found in the spot where the thermal scanner had detected a breath signal in the evening. Although the Army had initially planned to stop the search by Friday evening, they decided to continue the search based on the instruction received from the Chief Minister's office.

The Army finally called off the rescue attempt for the day after continuing the search until nine o'clock at night. Officials confirmed that no humans, dead or alive, were discovered beneath the mud. Although experts stated that the signals received from the location were unlikely to be from humans, a search was conducted on the spot by bringing in necessary equipment, including floodlights and an ambulance. However, the efforts yielded no results.