In response to the deadly landslides that have struck Kerala's Wayanad district, Congress Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi and Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra are set to visit the affected areas on Thursday. The leaders aim to meet with families impacted by the natural disaster and assess the situation on the ground, according to party sources.
Initially scheduled to arrive in Wayanad on Wednesday morning, the visit was postponed due to adverse weather conditions, particularly continuous rainfall that hindered safe landing for the leaders.
During their visit, the Gandhis plan to stop by relief camps set up at the Government Higher Secondary School and St. Joseph UP School in Meppadi. They will also make a visit to Dr. Moopen’s Medical College in the same area.
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.