No human presence found in spot where thermal scanner detected breath signal; search stopped for the day

WAYANAD: The number of people who died in the landslides in Mundakkai and Chooralmala in Meppadi has risen to 338. 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 the 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.

On Friday evening, the Army detected the presence of life under the debris near a house in Mundakkai while conducting a search using Thermal Image Radar (Human Rescue Radar). The signal was received from the kitchen area of the house. According to an army official, three signals of breath were detected during the search. The signal was received from a depth of three meters. Despite conducting an intensified search using earth movers and manpower, no human or animal life was found in the area.