WAYANAD: A complete of eight unidentified our bodies of landslide victims had been buried in a grave at Puthumala on Sunday evening, accompanied by funeral prayers as per Hindu, Muslim and Christian beliefs by non secular leaders who stood subsequent to one another.
The tragic depth of the catastrophe that wiped away two villages was evident at Puthumala, which itself bears the scars of one other landslide that claimed 17 lives and wiped away a plantation settlement in 2019.
Emotional sights abounded when the our bodies of individuals shattered by the landslide had been united in grief and delivered to the burial website – 64 cents handed over by Harrison Malayalam Plantations, the place 30 graves had been dug up.
A number of folks, together with kinfolk of lacking individuals, had reached the spot at 4 pm to pay their final respects within the hope that their family members may very well be there among the many unidentified our bodies and physique elements.
The govt., in the meantime, mentioned in a launch that 221 our bodies and 166 physique elements (taking the toll to 381) had been recovered up to now.
The our bodies included 87 girls and 37 youngsters whereas 172 of them have been recognized. Income minister Ok Rajan mentioned the variety of lacking individuals had come all the way down to 180 from 206 earlier, as authorities may contact a few of them over cellphone.
Officers to work 24×7: CM
On Sunday, Union minister for state Suresh Gopi visited the affected places. Requested in regards to the demand to declare the landslides as a nationwide catastrophe, he mentioned it was a matter that must be examined.
He lauded the rescue operations and mentioned he would apprise the Centre in regards to the scenario right here.
At Puthumala, the our bodies, which had been stored in two halls at Meppadi, had been taken to the mass burial floor in a convoy of ambulances at 9pm, they usually had been delivered to the location at 9.50pm by well being employees sporting PPE kits.
The funeral prayers had been led by Kuttan, a karmi at Mariyamman Kovil, Fr Jibin Vattakalathil, vicar of St Sebastian Church, Chooralmala, and Musthalfal Faisi, qatib of Meppadi Juma Masjid.
DNA samples from the unidentified our bodies, which have been given particular numbers, have been collected and the method of amassing blood samples of kinfolk for crossmatching has additionally begun. Concrete poles bearing the quantity given to our bodies had been put in atop the graves.
In the meantime, rescue operations continued for the sixth day on Sunday, with extra personnel and gear being deployed in areas the place our bodies had been anticipated to be discovered. A drone-based detection system was additionally used to determine such places.
Search operations additionally continued alongside the Chaliyarriver, on the banks of which scores of our bodies had washed up after the landslide.
Chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan mentioned officers of assorted departments would work round the clock on the civil station in Kalpetta and the short-term management room in Chooralmala to finish catastrophe reduction duties. Over a thousand workers are working in 15 groups on the collectorate and in Mundakkai-Chooralmala.
Police have intensified safety in Chooralmala and Mundakkai, following complaints of thefts from the deserted homes.
“We’ve got been dwelling in reduction camps after fleeing from the spot. After I went there the opposite day, what was left was only one wall and a cabinet, which was intact. My mom mentioned her purse was inside the cabinet, and I requested my buddies at Chooralmala to go and verify. After going there, my buddies noticed the cabinet opened and garments had been strewn round and cash was lacking from the purse,” Chundakkal native Jayesh mentioned.
Additionally, an issue erupted after police allegedly requested the White Guard volunteers beneath MYL to cease meals distribution to the rescue employees. Following this, there have been studies that rescue employees didn’t get sufficient meals on Sunday.
Nevertheless, income minister Ok Rajan rejected the fees, saying solely meals supplied at assortment factors had been being distributed after checks carried out by meals security officers.
