Kerala landslides: 167 people dead, 219 injured

WAYANAD: As many as 167 people have died and over 200 injured in the massive landslides that hit the northern Kerala district of Wayanad a day ago, with the numbers expected to increase as rescuers unearth debris, the district administration said on Wednesday.

The 167 dead include 22 children, it said.

It also said that 96 bodies were identified and post-mortem of 166 were completed.

Out of 61 body parts recovered, the post-mortem of 49 was completed, it said.

Of the 167 bodies, 75 were handed over to relatives or next of kin, it further said.

It also said that 219 people were admitted to hospitals from the disaster-hit areas and of them 78 are still undergoing treatment.

Rescue teams comprising the Army, Navy and NDRF are collectively looking for survivors by unearthing the debris and breaking into the remains of houses destroyed or covered up with mud in the landslides.

The landslides occurred around 2 am and 4.10 am on Tuesday, catching people off-guard while they were sleeping, leading to a high number of casualties.

Massive landslides triggered by torrential rains struck the picturesque hamlets of Mundakkai, Chooralmala, Attamala, and Noolpuzha, leaving behind a trail of death, destruction and despair.