At least 156 people have been killed and around 130 injured after the massive landslides struck the hilly areas in Kerala's Wayanad district due to heavy rain on early Tuesday morning. The news was confirmed on Tuesday late night by Kerala Health Minister Veena George in a Facebook post.
Agencies including the NDRF and the Army have been deployed in the district as many are still feared trapped under the debris. Chooralmala, Mundakkai, Attamala, and Noolpuzha villages were among the worst affected. Many people are also feared to have been washed away in the Chaliyar river.
Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan called the landslides a heart-wrenching disaster. "The landslide in Wayanad is a heart-wrenching disaster. There was extremely heavy rainfall. An entire area has been wiped out. Many who went to sleep last night have been swept away," he said.
The government also declared state mourning for 2 days. Meanwhile, former Wayanad MP Rahul Gandhi and his sister Priyanka Gandhi have postponed their visit to the hilly district citing extreme weather and rains.
"My brothers and sisters in Wayanad, even though we cannot come to Wayanad tomorrow, our hearts are with you at this tragic hour and we are praying for all of you," Priyanka Gandhi wrote on X.
Rahul assured the people of Wayanad that they would visit as soon as possible. He further said that the Gandhis will continue to monitor the situation closely and provide all necessary assistance.
Alappuzha MP KC Venugopal said that they decided to go to Wayanad as early as possible but didn't want to disturb the ongoing rescue operations. "So, we thought that we would go through Mysuru, but now we have got reports that Mysuru airport weather is also not good. We are exploring the possibilities, it may be postponed for a day or two but we will go," he said.
Moreover, West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose on Tuesday night to take stock of the relief work in Wayanad. He also said in a post on X that he spoke to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh regarding the rescue operations.
He will also be visiting hospitals and relief camps and facilitating rescue and relief operations. "He is in close touch with the Chief Minister of Kerala," the Raj Bhavan added.