As many as 150 people have died and nearly 200 have been injured after three devastating landslides hit Kerala's Wayanad district amid heavy rain. Multiple agencies, including NDRF, have joined the rescue ops in the hilly areas near Meppadi. The landslides destroyed several houses, uprooted trees and made water bodies swell, hampering the rescue work. As per the India Meteorological Department (IMD), "Heavy to very heavy rainfall is very likely to occur at isolated places in Kerala on July 31 and August 1."'
The weather department has predicted heavy rainfall for August 2.
Here are the updates on the Wayanad landslides:
Over 150 Dead After Devastating Landslides In Wayanad
Officials say over 150 people have been killed in the three landslides that hit Kerala's Wayanad yesterday.
600 Rescue Personnel In Wayand To Evacuate People After Landslides
500 to 600 personnel from the NDRF, army, state police, forest officials, and volunteers have been carrying out the rescue operations on Wednesday.
Kerala Health Minister Injured In Car Accident On The Way To Wayanad
Kerala Health Minister Veena George was involved in an accident near Manjeri here on Wednesday morning while she was travelling to the landslide-hit Wayanad district to coordinate the rescue operations there. According to police, the accident occurred around 7.10 am when the minister's vehicle reportedly hit a two-wheeler.
The minister was taken to the government medical college in Manjeri, police said, adding that her condition was not serious.
Climate Change, Deforestation: What Led To Wayanad Landslides
Climate change, fragile terrain and loss of forest cover created the perfect recipe for the devastating landslides in Kerala's Wayanad district that claimed 151 lives, according to studies conducted over the years.
According to the landslide atlas released by the Indian Space Research Organisation's (ISRO) National Remote Sensing Centre last year, 10 out of the 30 most landslide-prone districts in India were in Kerala, with Wayanad ranked 13th.
What's Behind Devastating Wayanad Landslides?
Warming of the Arabian Sea is allowing the formation of deep cloud systems, leading to extremely heavy rainfall in Kerala in a shorter period and increasing the possibility of landslides, a senior climate scientist said today.
Kerala Landslide Update: Death Count Climbs To 151, Nearly 190 Missing
At least 151 people died and 187 are missing, news agency Reuters said quoting Kerala chief minister's spokesman, PM Manoj
