Army speeds up rescue operation in Meppadi, will build more temporary bridges; Special Dog Squad to accident site

KALPETTA: The Army has speeded up the rescue operations in Mundakkai in Meppadi, which was hit by major landslides on Tuesday morning. A temporary bridge has been constructed from Chooralmala to Meppadi. Rain and fog are posing a serious challenge to the rescue efforts in the area in the night. Two Army teams from Thiruvananthapuram will begin rescue operations at the site from early tomorrow morning. Karnataka-Kerala sub-area commander Major General VT Mathew will leave for Wayanad tomorrow morning. Senior military officers will directly take charge of the control room in Wayanad.

140 members of the Madras-Maratha Regiment will reach the disaster area tomorrow. A 330-foot-high temporary bridge will be constructed tomorrow. The parts of the bridge will be delivered from Bengaluru in the morning. 70 experts from the Army Engineering Group will reach the area for this purpose. Three sniffer dogs will be brought from Delhi to find the dead bodies.

On Tuesday morning, Malayalees woke up to the devastating news of the worst landslide disaster the state has ever experienced. So far, the disaster has claimed the lives of 120 people. A total of 131 injured people are undergoing treatment at various hospitals. Many of them are said to be in serious condition. It is reported that 98 people are still missing. 42 dead bodies were recovered from the Chaliyar River in the neighbouring district of Malappuram, far from the accident site.