63 killed, 70 injured in Kerala landslides

Wayanad, July 30 As many as 63 people were killed and 70 injured after two massive landslides hit Mundakai and Chooralmala in Vellarimala village under Meppadi panchayat in Kerala’s Wayanad district early Tuesday, officials said.

Official sources said 43 bodies, including those of eight women, were kept in Wayanad district at the Meppadi Community Health Centre (CHC) and another eight bodies were kept in a private hospital at Meppadi in Wayanad district, official sources said.
Malappuram District Police Chief S Sasidharan told news persons that eight bodies found floating in the Chaliyar river at Pothukal were kept at Government District hospital at Nilambur.
Several body parts of victims were also recovered at five places in Malappuram district, he said.
He also said a search operation was going on at the Chaliyar river by the Emergency Response Team and Police to rescue the victims.
Braving heavy rain a National Disaster Response Force team crossed the Chooralmala river, which was 8 km from Kalpetta town in Wayanad district and undertook rescue operations.
A team of defence personnel reached Choorimala around 2 pm to construct a temporary bridge connecting Chooralmala and Mundakai to rescue 250-odd stranded people. including the injured, officials said.
Sources said around 150 people are stranded in hilly areas in Mundakkai and around 100 are stranded in a resort.
A dog squad was also pressed into service to recover the bodies from the debris, sources said.