15 dead, 50 trapped in Kerala landslide
Police, NDRF get into rescue mode after heavy rains
Kerala woke up to a major tragedy on Friday with a landslide in Rajamalai near Munnar, in Idukki district of Kerala, leaving
15 persons dead and over 50 persons feared trapped under debris.
The dead include a 12year-old boy and a 13year-old girl, eight men and five women.
The state police, National Disaster Relief Force (NDRF), fire force and defence personnel are engaged in a massive rescue operation in the area to save the lives of people trapped under the debris.
At a press conference here Chief Minister, Pinarayi Vijayan said the landslide occurred in Pettimudi near Rajamalai in which 30 rooms of a residential cluster known as layams, of tea estate workers, was completely destroyed.
Over 80 people residing in the quarters were trapped in the landslide, of which 15 died,
15 were rescued and rescue operations are on at the site to retrieve the others safely from under the debris.
The seriously injured have been shifted to Kolenchery medical college and the others are
being treated at Tata Hospital in Munnar. The Chief Minister announced `5 lakh ex gratia each to families of the dead. The government will bear the cost of the treatment of the injured.
Earlier in a tweet, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he was pained at the loss of lives in the landslide. He announced a `2 lakh ex gratia each for the families of the dead and `50,000 to the injured.
According to eyewitnesses, the incident happened in the early hours of Friday. The landslide originated from the hills near Idamalakudy and completely destroyed the quarters of the tea plantation workers. It also damaged mobile towers and Periyavarai bridge, connecting Rajamalai with Munnar, following which rescue operations were badly affected.
With power outtage
and no mode of communication in the area, the place was already cut off from the rest of the world.
The incident came to light after some survivors managed to walk up to the nearest forest station after trekking for a couple of hours. The entire area has been experiencing heavy rainfall for the past 24 hours, believed to be one of the major reasons for the landslide.