Wayanad: A combined operation by the Indian Army, NDRF, Fire and Rescue Force and volunteers rescued 80 persons trapped at various places in landslide-hit Chooralmala by twilight. The army constructed a temporary bridge for the mission.

The teams also recovered the bodies of those killed in the multiple landslides. According to reports, at least 122 persons have been killed in the landslide, and many are missing. The dead and the injured were airlifted to a temporary camp at St Mary’s College in Sulthan Bathery and later shifted to nearby hospitals.

Rescue attempts at Tree Valley resort
By 7:30 pm, the army was moving toward the Tree Valley resort in the upper Mundakkai region, where more than 100 people were trapped. Those who had sought refuge at the resort sent out SOS; their relatives also shared the information with the army and the media.

Army engineering group to Wayanad
The Madras Engineering Group (MEG) of the army has been dispatched from Bengaluru to reconstruct the bridge at Chooralmala, which was washed away in the landslide. The decision to rope in the MEG was made after discussions between the revenue secretary and major general V T Mathews, who is in charge of the Kerala-Karnataka sub-area. Once the bridge is constructed, the rescuers can access the isolated areas.