Wayanad (Kerala) [India], August 5 (ANI): A week after the massive landslides, Wayanad district administration on Monday organized a mass burial ceremony in which the body parts of unidentified victims killed in the disaster were buried in the Puthumala region of the district. A prayer of all religions was also conducted before the burial ceremony. The event started at around 3 pm.
Speaking with ANI, on missing bodies and body parts of the landslide victims, Kerala Minister K N Balagopal said, “We cannot give an exact number of missing body parts… There is a mass burial going on for unidentified bodies.”

Puthumala is a village close to Chooralmala. In 2019, Puthumala also witnessed a landslide.
Meanwhile, the rescue and relief operations in landslide-hit areas of Kerala’s Wayanad entered the seventh consecutive day on Monday.
As per the State Health Ministry, the death toll stands at 308 as of August 2.
220 bodies have been recovered and 180 people are still missing as of Sunday.
A total of 53 camps have been set up in Wayanad as part of the relief operations. As per the latest update, 6759 people were shifted to these camps across the district including 1983 families, 2501 males, 2677 females, 1581 children, and 20 pregnant women.
The government has set up 16 camps in Meppadi and other gram panchayats, this includes 9 shelters and 7 rescue camps. A total of 2514 people have been shifted to these shelters as per the latest data. This included 723 families, 943 males, 972 females, 599 children, and six pregnant women.
Additionally, there are rescue camps at SDMLP school, D-Paul public school at Kalpetta, RCLP school at Chundel, GHS school near Rippon, WMO college at Muttil, Rippon new building, and Arappatta.
The massive landslides hit Chooralmala and Mundakkai of Wayanad on July 30 wreaking mass devastation and loss of lives and property.
Late on Sunday night, the district administration carried out the mass burial of the mortal remains of the unidentified people killed in the landslides. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan had earlier directed the district administration to carry out the formalities with interfaith prayers. (ANI)

Wayanad landslide: Mass burial of unidentified bodies underway

Wayanad (Kerala) [India], August 4 (ANI): The mass burial process of the mortal remains of the unidentified people killed in the Wayanad landslide is being carried out by the district administration on Sunday.
Several ambulances arrived at the spot to carry the bodies. A large number of people were seen gathered at the mass burial site.
The massive landslides that rocked Kerala‘s Wayanad has claimed over 300 lives.

As the rescue and relief operation continues, 220 bodies have been recovered as of now, while 180 people are still missing in the landslide-hit Wayanad district, Kerala Minister K Rajan said on Sunday.
Addressing a press conference, Rajan said that along with 220 bodies, 160 body parts have also been found. He further mentioned that there are 34 unidentified bodies, while 171 dead bodies have been released to relatives.
“Today one body recovered from Malappuram and one body part from Soojippara. This is the sixth day of the rescue operation. 1382 members from various forces and about 1800 volunteers were part of the rescue operation,” the Kerala Minister said.

“All forces are doing their work and also we have a meeting with the heads of the different forces to analyze the situation. Thereafter tomorrow, the Chief Minister is having a meeting and the chief secretary is having an official level meeting every day at 10 am,” he added.
Earlier in the day, Union Minister George Kurien called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and apprised him of the remarkable relief and rescue operations undertaken by central forces/agencies in landslide-hit Wayanad, Kerala.
The landslides that occurred on July 30 in Chooralmala and Mundakkai in Wayanad have resulted in the loss of 308 lives as of Friday.
Earlier, PM Modi announced an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh for the next of kin of the deceased in multiple landslides that hit Kerala‘s Wayanad, following torrential rains.
The search and rescue operations in Kerala‘s Wayanad have entered their sixth day on Sunday, as several people are still feared trapped in the debris.
Earlier, the Kerala Chief Minister’s Office informed that night patrolling of the police has been instituted in Chooralmala and Mundakkai areas where landslides occurred. Action will be taken against those trespassing in the houses or areas of the victims at night, the statement from the CM’s office said.
No one should enter the houses or areas of these places at night without the permission of the police for rescue operations, it added. (ANI)