Even after a four-day-long intensive search operation, the rescue squads have found no trace of 40 people who went missing after the Kavalappara landslide near Nilambur in Malappuram district.
The army and National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) could recover only six more bodies from the site on Monday by confirming the death of 19 people.
Responding to the request of the district administration, more rescue personnel were deployed at the spot.
Substitutes needed
High-end rescue equipment and location maps were also used for intensifying the search on the basis of hints given by some of the local residents. Though the rains did not interrupt the search, the rescue teams could not make the expected progress with the heavy deposit of muddy debris and silt. A local body member said the search was progressing at a slow pace since working in the slippery terrain was difficult.
The majority of those who joined the mission two days ago were exhausted due to the tireless work and they should be substituted with new team members, she said.
Revenue Department officials said the main challenge was to cover a vast area of devastated land simultaneously. There were about 18 houses in the landslip-hit area and the rescue teams were finding it hard to spot even the exact locations to remove the debris, they said.
On Monday, Minister for Higher Education K.T. Jaleel and senior Congress leader Oommen Chandy visited the spot to oversee the search operations.
A Fire and Rescue Service officer from the spot said the search was progressing in the area using 15 earth removers.
Sufficient number of concrete cutters and generators had already been brought to the spot following the direction of the Disaster Management Authority, he said.
Ending the anxious wait, the close relatives of some of the missing people also joined the search after reaching the spot from nearby relief camps. However, the rescue teams would be able to carry out their work effectively only after removing the huge deposit of muddy soil on such flattened houses using heavy machines.
Concern
With the delay in finding the victims, some of the families also expressed their concern in properly identifying the bodies.
On Sunday, there was mild confusion in identifying the body of a woman which was in a decomposed state. Though the panchayat claimed of identifying the body, a family member challenged it with evidence. According to official figures, the total number of persons who went missing in the Kavalappara landslide is 59.
