Big salute to Indian army! Rescue team defies adverse weather to complete Bailey bridge

WAYANAD: The construction of the Bailey Bridge, which was built as part of the rescue operation following the Chooralmala landslide, has been completed. The army officials surpassed the hurdles posed by the adverse weather and completed the bridge construction by Thursday evening as promised earlier. With the completion of the bridge, it is expected that the rescue operation will move at a fast pace with more efficiency.

34 dead bodies were found in the search conducted on Thursday. The army has officially informed the state government about completing the rescue operation in Mundakkai and said there are no more people trapped in the hamlet. The rain that continues for the third day is hindering the rescue operations.

The rescue team is yet to receive information about 240 people missing in the landslides. The search for missing people is also focused on the debris of houses. The rescue team have not been able to reach certain vulnerable terrains in the region. The help of big machines is sought to carry out the operation with precision.

On another note, the death toll is likely to rise in Wayanad. The Chief Minister demanded that the incident in Mundakai be declared a national disaster. MP Shashi Tharoor also said that he has written to Home Minister Amit Shah requesting that the Wayanad landslide be declared as an extreme natural disaster as per MP fund guidelines.