Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, quoting top army officials, said all survivors at Mundakkai, one of the worst-hit areas of Tuesday’s landslide in Wayanad, have been rescued. 

Addressing media persons in Wayanad this afternoon, the Chief Minister, however, said more people are still missing and dismembered bodies are likely to be buried beneath the debris. He also lauded the relief and rescue work undertaken by the army.

He said efforts to retrieve more bodies believed to be swept away into the Chaliyar River will continue. Steps will be taken to rehabilitate the affected people, and she added that steps will be taken to ensure that the education of their children is not affected. He also urged people to cooperate with the health authorities to prevent the outbreak of contagious diseases in the region.

Mr Vijayan said a cabinet subcommittee comprising the state ministers for Revenue, Forests, Tourism & PWD, and SC-ST Welfare will camp in Wayanad to coordinate the relief works. He assured that steps will be taken to reissue various records and certificates lost in the landslide.

Earlier, the Chief Minister held an all-party meeting and a meeting with senior officials to take stock of the situation.

Meanwhile, the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, reached the landslide-affected Chooralmala area this afternoon. Mr Gandhi, who represented the Wayanad constituency in the Lok Sabha earlier, is accompanied by his sister Priyanka Gandhi and other party leaders.