2,000 Join People's Search for Missing in Wayanad Disaster, 4 bodies found

Thiruvananthapuram: Four additional bodies were retrieved from a forest area in the Soochipara - Kanthanpara region during the joint search conducted by rescue teams and family members of the missing persons as part of “Peoples Search” carried out on Friday.

The search teams reported that four bodies were recovered during the operation, and a severed leg was also found lodged in a tree. The authorities planned to airlift the decomposed bodies.

Over 2,000 individuals participated in an extensive "people's search" operation in the disaster-stricken areas of Mundakkai and Chooralmala to find those missing.

Accompanied by the NDRF, Fire Force, police, revenue department staff, elected officials, and volunteers, the locals embarked on this mission with the determination to use every possible means to locate as many individuals as possible. The search operation took place from 7 am to 12:30 pm on Friday, with around 190 registered individuals from relief camps, relatives' homes, and other locations joining the search efforts.

Early in the morning, the people from the relief camps were taken to the location for searching. The search operation took place in Punchirimattam, the epicenter of the landslide disaster, parts of Mundakkai town, and Chooralmala School Road. The Minister for Tourism and Public Works Department, Mohammad Riyaz joined the initial team that arrived near the affected houses in Punchirimattam.

Northern Region IG K Sethuraman led the search team. A detailed search was conducted at the places pointed out by the relatives of the missing persons, local residents and people's representatives and at the places requested. The suspected areas were inspected by removing the soil using earthmovers. A police dog squad was also used in the search.

Representatives of the people, the National Disaster Response Force, fire services, police, revenue authorities, and volunteers were involved in the search. The district administration's records indicate that 131 individuals are missing following the tragedy. Searches are actively underway to locate them. The people's task force conducted searches in the primary areas, dividing them into six sections.

As many as 120 members of NDRF, K9 squad of Kerala Police, 530 members of fire force, 45 forest guards, 61 members of SOS, 23 members of Army MEG wing, 14 members of IRB, Odisha Police Dog Squad, 780 members of Kerala Police, 50 members of six teams of the Revenue Department, 88 members of the Revenue Department, 864 members of the 48 teams and 864 volunteers were involved in the search operation.