Search to end soon at Wayanad; IBOD drone search to happen today; death 354; children 30

KALPETTA: Even as the search for the missing persons in the Wayanad disaster is in its final stages, the exact number of people who have lost their lives is yet to be confirmed.

206 people are still missing and five bodies were recovered yesterday. Meanwhile, three dead bodies and 13 body parts were recovered from the Chaliyar river. The search is entering its sixth day today. The unofficial count of the dead is 354. This includes 30 children.

Inspections were carried out yesterday using 31 earthmoving machines in Punchiri Mattam, Mundakkai, Chooralmala village areas and the lower part of the river. Inspection will be done using IBOD drone today. More places were searched using human rescue radar. Further search will be carried out in the area after comparing it with the old picture of the area. The search will be strengthened by understanding the difference in elevation of the accumulated dunes.

Yesterday, the forest department deployed more personnel to search the areas sharing forest boundaries. Five dog squads of the Tamil Nadu Fire Department have also been deployed.

1264 people of 11 categories namely NDRF, Army K9 Dog Squad, Special Operation Group, Madras Engineering Group, Police, Fire Force, Forest, Tamil Nadu Fire and Rescue, Medical Team, National Disaster Management Authority Delta Squad, Naval and Coast Guard searched six areas.

A three-member rescue team from Nilambur got stuck in a cliff near Soochipara Waterfalls. Two of them were rescued by the Army in a helicopter. One person was brought out by the volunteers.

1. The photography folder will be checked to find the missing persons
2. Unidentified dead bodies will be given special identification number after the inquest and post-mortem before cremation. Photographs of objects including jewelery on the dead body will be taken and preserved.
3. The government has been ordered to take further action under the Disaster Management Act in this regard. Burial will be done under the supervision of local bodies.
4. So far 198 dead bodies and remains have been postmortemed. 195 were taken to Wayanad. Three were received by relatives.