Due to a massive landslide in the Wayanad district of Kerala, that hit the state about two days ago between 2 and 4:10 am, 173 people have died while over 200 are injured, PTI reported. However, there is a difference in the number of deaths reported by various media houses. As per The Indian Express, the death toll has risen to 276 with over 200 injured as of Thursday morning. Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has confirmed that 240 people remain missing, while more than 1,500 have been rescued from the affected areas.
The 173 deaths include 23 children and 70 women. It stated that 100 bodies had been identified, and that the post-mortem examination of 219 remains, including body parts, had been finished. It went on to say that 221 people were admitted to hospitals from disaster-hit areas, with 91 still receiving care. In addition to this, several people are still missing in landslide-hit Wayanad, where rescue workers are dealing with harsh conditions, including saturated earth, as they dig through devastated homes and buildings for survivors or dead.
According to the government’s official estimate on Wednesday evening, 191 persons are missing, but official sources suggest that the actual figure could be significantly higher.
The landslides occurred between 2 and 4.10 a.m. on Tuesday, catching many off guard while they were asleep, resulting in a large number of casualties. Massive landslides caused by torrential rains devastated the lovely hamlets of Mundakkai, Chooralmala, Attamala, and Noolpuzha, leaving a trail of death, ruin, and misery.
(with inputs from PTI)