Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala) [India], July 31 (ANI): The death toll in the <keyword id="22610714" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Wayanad-landslide-tragedy" source="keywords">Wayanad landslide tragedy</keyword> climbed to 143 on Wednesday, with several injured and trapped, according to the State Health Department. Relief and <keyword id="6388465" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="rescue-operations" source="Orion">rescue operations</keyword> are underway in Wayanad's Chooralmala after a <keyword id="6420762" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="landslide" source="Orion">landslide</keyword> broke out yesterday. The massive landslide wreaked havoc in the region as houses and roads were damaged, trees uprooted and water bodies swelled, hindering rescue operations. Meanwhile, on Tuesday, the national flag is at half-mast at the Kerala Legislative Assembly as a two-day mourning period is observed in the state following the <keyword id="6782464" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="Wayanad-landslide" source="Orion">Wayanad landslide</keyword> that claimed 143 lives. On Tuesday, Union Minister George Kurian reached Wayanad to take stock of ongoing relief operations, where he interacted with senior officials of the NDRF, CRPF and Army officials. He also visited a relief camp at Kalpetta at 11 pm. "Reached Wayanad hit by a massive landslide and took stock of relief ops. Interacted with senior officials of NDRF, CRPF and Army officials. Visited a relief camp at Kalpetta at 11 pm," Kurian wrote in a post on X. NDRF Commander Akhilesh Kumar has said "We rescued injured victims from Mundakkai village yesterday. We fear victims might be trapped in collapsed buildings... Till 10 pm last night, we rescued 70 people, after which we had to stop because of bad weather and rain... Since many teams are working, we cannot give an exact number of deaths, because we only know about the dead bodies our team has recovered... People have been given shelter in a resort and a mosque on the other side of the river. Since rainfall is going on, there are chances of another landslide." Meanwhile, in reports just coming in, Kerala health Minister Veena George's vehicle met with a minor accident near Manjeri in Malappuram district. She was travelling to Wayanad. No major injuries were reported to either the health minister or her staff. The Health Minister is being treated at Manjeri Medical College Earlier, in response to the landslide in Wayanad, Veena George visited the Health Department Directorate to assess the ongoing arrangements. She provided a detailed overview of the situation and instructed for precise tracking of available hospital beds in the affected areas, as per the Kerala Health Minister's Office. Minister George also recommended setting up temporary hospitals if necessary and emphasised the need to evaluate the mortuary systems at existing hospitals, including the utilization of mobile mortuaries. She also reviewed the operations of the control room, which will function 24/7 to assist both health workers and the public, Kerala Health Minister's Office. On Tuesday morning, two massive landslides that washed away the Mundakkai and Chooramala areas of Vellarimala village took place under Meppadi Panchayat in Wayanad. The landslides destroyed several houses, uprooted trees and made water bodies swell, hampering the rescue work. Meanwhile, as per the India Meteorological Department (IMD), "Heavy to very heavy rainfall is very likely to occur at isolated places in Kerala on July 31 and August 1."' The weather department has predicted heavy rainfall for August 2. Additionally, it said, "Strong surface winds with speeds reaching 30-40 gusting to 50 kmph are likely to prevail occasionally over Kerala on July 30 and 31." The first landslide occurred at 2 am on July 30, followed by another at 4:10 am, causing immense damage to homes and livelihoods. Many areas, including Meppadi, Mundakkai and Chooralmala, have been isolated, and roads have been washed away. The Vellarmala GVH School was completely buried. Late on Tuesday, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan held a high-level meeting to expedite the rescue operations at the landslide-affected Chooralmala in Wayanad. The meeting was held at the Kerala SDMA office and included discussions on enhancing operations through collaboration with various central agencies &amp; forces. (ANI)

Wayanad landslide tragedy: Death toll climbs to 143, rescue operations continue with several still trapped

<keyword id="19945808" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Wayanad" source="keywords">Wayanad</keyword>, a picturesque district in the <keyword id="20473399" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Western-Ghats" source="keywords">Western Ghats</keyword>, is renowned for its spice plantations, wildlife sanctuaries, and breathtaking landscapes. However, the same hilly terrain and dense forests that contribute to its beauty also make it highly susceptible to <keyword id="19964849" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="landslides" source="keywords">landslides</keyword> during the monsoon season. Heavy rains often lead to soil erosion and landslides, particularly in areas like Meppadi, Vythiri, and their surrounding regions. In the early hours of July 30, tragedy struck <keyword id="19896018" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Kerala" source="keywords">Kerala</keyword>’s Wayanad district. Massive landslides, triggered by relentless monsoon rains, buried large areas under debris, killing around 70 people and leaving many more injured. The death toll is expected to rise as rescue operations continue and more people are reported missing. <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="112125756" title="Wayanad landslides: NDRF teams, Army choppers, Ministers rush to Wayanad" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div>Picturesque hamlets like Mundakkai, Chooralmala, Attamala, and Noolpuzha, known for their natural beauty, now lie in ruins, cut off from the rest of the district. Vehicles have been washed away by floodwaters, getting stuck in tree trunks or submerged in many places. Huge boulders have rolled down the hills, obstructing rescue efforts. Despite the heavy rains, rescue workers continue to shift the injured and deceased into ambulances. The Kerala State Disaster Management Authority quickly mobilised National Disaster Response Force (<keyword id="19988414" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="ndrf" source="keywords">NDRF</keyword>) teams to the affected areas. The Indian Army and two Air Force helicopters, a Mi-17 and an Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH), were also deployed for rescue operations. Meanwhile, experts attribute these landslides to heavy rainfall, geologically weak soil, deforestation, and careless construction practices. <h2>Understanding landslides</h2>A landslide is the movement of rock, earth, or debris down a slope. According to the United States Geological Survey (USGS), landslides are a type of “mass wasting,” which includes any down-slope movement of soil and rock under the influence of gravity. Common types of landslides include debris flows (mudflows or mudslides) and rock falls. The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) explains landslides using an illustration, highlighting that they can be triggered by geological, morphological, and human factors. Geological factors refer to the characteristics of the earth or rock, while morphological factors pertain to the structure of the land, such as slopes losing vegetation. Human activities like deforestation, construction, and agriculture can increase the risk of landslides by destabilising slopes. <h2>Why more landslides during monsoon?</h2>One primary reason for the increase in landslides during the monsoon is concentrated rainfall due to climate change. Heavy rains, combined with unplanned structural interventions in fragile landscapes, often lead to landslides. Deforestation for infrastructure projects weakens the soil, making it more vulnerable to waterlogging and subsequent landslides. Kerala has witnessed a rise in deadly landslides during the monsoon. An IIT Delhi study noted that heavy rain destroys steep slopes with loose soil, causing landslides. The state recorded the highest number of major landslides in India in recent years. Of the 3,782 landslides between 2015 and 2022 so far, 2,239 alone were reported in Kerala, sources suggest. <h2>Moving forward </h2>As Kerala deals with the aftermath of this disaster, it has become crucial to address the underlying causes of landslides and implement measures to mitigate their impact. Sustainable development, reforestation, and careful planning of infrastructure projects can help reduce the risk of such tragedies in the future. In conclusion, while Wayanad's natural beauty is enhanced by the monsoon, the increased rainfall also brings potential hazards. The recent landslides serve as a tragic reminder of the delicate balance between nature's splendour and its inherent dangers. <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="112133054" title="Kerala landslide adds to tally of over 180 rain-related deaths since June" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div>

Landslides in Kerala are turning increasingly common, especially in the monsoon season

<ul><li> The toll in landslip hit <keyword id="9715364" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="pettimudi">Pettimudi</keyword> in <keyword id="101900" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Idukki">Idukki</keyword> rose to 49 with 6 more bodies being recovered from the debris as rescue operations continued to trace those missing. </li><li>After actively carrying out rescue operations at Pettimudi near Rajamala in Idukki district where the settlements of estate workers were destroyed by devastating landslides four days ago, various agencies engaged in the rescue operations on Monday retrieved six more bodies, raising the toll to 49 in the tragedy.</li><li><keyword id="28504" type="LOCATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Kerala">Kerala</keyword> State Disaster Management Authority (KSDMA) has warned about the possibilities of landslides in the hilly areas already hit by extremely heavy rainfall in the past few days and directed people living in the region and government authorities to be vigilant. </li></ul> With a let up in the downpour,water receded in many low-lying areas of rain ravaged central Kerala on Monday, while the toll in landslip hit Pettimudi in Idukki rose to 49 with 6 more bodies being recovered from the debris as rescue operations continued to trace those missing. There was no red alert warning in any of the state's 14 districts as the intensity of rains decreased and the affected areas started limping back to normalcy, although hundreds of the flood-hit people are still housed in relief camps, particularly in Alappuzha, Kottayam, Pathanamthitta and Ernakulam districts. <keyword id="3573341" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="The-India-Meteorological-Department">The India Meteorological Department</keyword> (IMD) forecast very heavy rainfall in isolated areas in the state, prompting the authorities to sound orange alerts in eight districts-- Alappuzha, Kottayam, Ernakulam, Idukki, Wayanad, Kozhikode, Kannur and Kasargod districts. Kerala State Disaster Management Authority (KSDMA) has warned about the possibilities of landslides in the hilly areas already hit by extremely heavy rainfall in the past few days and directed people living in the region and government authorities to be vigilant. Actively carrying out rescue operations at Pettimudi near Rajamala in Idukki district where the settlements of estate workers were destroyed by devastating landslides four days ago, various agencies engaged in the rescue operations on Monday retrieved six more bodies, raising the toll to 49 in the tragedy. Personnel of NDRF, fire and police departments and volunteers of various organisations will continue their efforts to trace the missing people feared trapped in the debris, officials said. Meanwhile, the water level at Mullaperiyar reservoir in Idukki district reached 136.55 feet on Monday evening. The Idukki district Collector had held discussions with the Collector of Theni in neighbouring Tamil Nadu, with regard to the release of water through the tunnel to Vaigai dam when the water level touched the 136-feet mark. The Kerala government had on Saturday asked the Tamil Nadu government to release water from Mullaperiyar to Vaigai Dam in a phased manner when the water level reached 136 feet in view of heavy rains in Idukki. Six shutters of the Pamba dam, which were opened on Sunday evening after its water level rose near the permissible limit, were shut on Monday, reducing concerns of flood downstream. Officials said there was a 30 to 40 cm rise in water level in Pamba but the river did not overflow its banks. They said the shutters of the dams were closed after bringing down the water level in the dam to 982.8 metres. The dam's maximum water level is 986.332 metres. Low-lying areas in Kottayam and Alappuzha districts of Kerala continued to experience a flood-like situation with water surging following downpour, although there was a respite from rains since the morning. Two rain related deaths were reported from Kottayam district on Monday. Crops in hundreds of hectares in Kuttanad 'Below Sea Level Farming System', the only such one in India practising rice cultivation below sea level for the past two centuries, were destroyed due to the breach of bunds following heavy influx of rain water, farmers said. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/these-are-the-tabletop-airports-in-india-two-of-them-have-seen-major-plane-crashes-in-last-10-years/articleshow/77427972.cms">These are the tabletop airports in India – two of them have seen major plane crashes in last 10 years</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/startups/news/how-karan-bajaj-sold-his-less-than-18-month-old-startup-white-hat-jr-to-byjus/articleshow/77415329.cms">A WhatsApp message, six weeks of talks and a $300 million deal – how Karan Bajaj sold his less than 18-month old startup White Hat Jr to Byju’s</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/news/mukesh-ambani-is-now-the-worlds-fourth-richest-person-after-he-beat-louis-vuitton-owner-bernard-arnault/articleshow/77431776.cms">Mukesh Ambani is now the world’s fourth-richest person after he beat Louis Vuitton owner Bernard Arnault</a>

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Wayanad landslide tragedy: Death toll climbs to 143, rescue operations continue with several still trapped

ANI

Landslides in Kerala are turning increasingly common, especially in the monsoon season

BI India Bureau

Kerala's Idukki district records six more deaths due to landslide

PTI