Everyone in the country should come to landslide victims' aid: Kerala Guv

Wayanad: Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan on Wednesday appealed to everyone across the country to come to the aid of the victims of the massive landslides in this high-range district of the state, saying it was a "colossal tragedy".

Khan said he was endorsing what Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said a day ago that Kerala in 2018 and 2019, when hit by floods, people of the state stood up to the occasion and came forward to help.

"To deal with this kind of massive tragedy, we need help from every side. So, I hope people will display the same generosity, concern and sensitivity towards these victims in Wayanad.

"Not just Kerala. I would like to make an appeal to people all over the country that it is our duty to come to the rescue and help of these unfortunate victims of the landslides," Khan, who is in Wayanad, told reporters.

He said everyone's heart goes out to the victims and that is the reason why he decided that if possible he would visit the affected areas and the relief camps.

The Governor also said that all state and central agencies as well as the armed forces were doing whatever was possible to search for and rescue those who were missing or stranded due to the landslides.

Massive landslides triggered by torrential rains struck the picturesque hamlets of Mundakkai, Chooralmala, Attamala, and Noolpuzha in the early hours of Tuesday, killing several people, including women and children.