Search operations being undertaken by the Army personnel and the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) will continue at Kavalappara in Malappuram district till the bodies of all those missing in the August 8 landslip are recovered, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has said.
Four more bodies were recovered from the area on Tuesday, taking the official death toll to 23.
Visiting the victims at a relief camp at Bhoodanam, near Kavalappara, on Tuesday, Mr. Vijayan said the State government would take steps to rehabilitate the residents who had lost their dwellings and belongings in the landslip. “We will overcome this disaster together,” he said.
The Chief Minister cautioned the people about the unpredictable nature of the weather in the coming days, urging them to be alert. Mr. Vijayan had an aerial view of the disaster spot and held a review meeting at Pothukal.
Of the four bodies recovered on Tuesday, only Sakkeena, 47, wife of Puthani Kareem, had been identified. A total of 59 people were found missing. Though earlier there were reports that 63 people were found missing, four persons were found to have moved to their relatives’ place. The unexpected nature of the calamity was revealed in the way the body of Priyadarshan, a local resident, was recovered by the rescue team.
Priyadarshan was found to be sitting on a motorcycle wearing a raincoat and a helmet. It was reported that he was just entering his house in the two-wheeler when he was covered by the mud in the night.
Rescue workers are reportedly concentrating on certain spots identified by the relatives and local residents where there is a high possibility of finding the bodies. More equipment were brought to the spot on Tuesday.
Heavy rain stayed away in the area during the day though it rained a bit in the evening. Restrictions were imposed on visitors to the area after rescue works were found to be hindered by curious onlookers in the past few days.
Local sources said that many people had thronged the spot on Monday in view of a holiday for Valiya Perunal. Now, only volunteers are allowed to enter the area.
