CHOORALMALA, India – The search for survivors and bodies after devastating landslides in Kerala is expected to accelerate on August 2, following the completion of a metal bridge by the army, which will facilitate the transportation of heavy equipment to the affected area.
Heavy rain in the southern coastal state of Kerala, one of India’s most popular tourist destinations, caused landslides in the hills of Wayanad district early on July 30. The deluge sent torrents of mud, water, and tumbling boulders downhill, burying or sweeping people to their deaths as they slept.
Initially, rescue efforts were hampered because the worst affected area was cut off from the nearest town of Chooralmala after the main bridge was washed away.
Heavy vehicles have now started using the 58-meter bridge constructed by army engineers. Additionally, drones equipped with earth-sensing technology are being deployed to locate bodies buried in the mud, the army said in a statement. Rescue teams have also deployed additional forces, including swimming experts, to focus on the Chaliyar river and its banks, where bodies are likely to be found.
While the hope for finding survivors in the debris is low, authorities have not ruled out the possibility entirely. However, they acknowledge that they are most likely to retrieve bodies. The disaster, the worst in Kerala since deadly floods in 2018, has resulted in the deaths of 189 people, with 206 still missing, according to officials. Local Asianet TV reported that 292 people had been killed.
Experts said the area had received heavy rain in the last two weeks, which softened the soil before the extremely heavy rainfall on July 29 triggered the landslides. Nearly 1,600 people have been rescued from hillside villages and tea and cardamom estates over the past two days, with nearly 350 buildings reported damaged.