Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said on Tuesday that 93 people died and around 128 were injured in the massive landslides in the northern Wayanad district, leaving behind a trail of destruction and despair.
Vijayan said that of the dead, 34 bodies were identified and 18 were handed over to families.
The CM also said that 16 bodies were recovered from the Chaliyar river at Pothukal village in the district. Besides that, body parts were also recovered by those carrying out search and rescue operations, he said.
Vijayan said that the initial landslide occurred around 2 am and the next one hit around 4.30 am, leaving hundreds trapped beneath the debris and many more being swept away.
The landslides occurred when the villagers were sleeping, catching them off-guard and resulting in the high number of casualties, he said.
Many could be trapped inside or swept away, and we will continue rescue efforts, he said.
Vijayan said 45 camps have been set up in the district and around 3,069 people have been rehabilitated there.
The Kerala CM also appealed for contributions to the Chief Minister’s Distress Relief Fund (CMDRF) to support those affected by the landslide and to help rebuild the impacted area.