The Central Government took immediate measures following the landslide tragedy in Kerala’s Wayanad as it deployed more than 1,200 personnel from National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), Army, Air Force, Navy, fire services and civil defence among others for rescue and relief operations at the incident site, official sources said on Saturday.

More than 100 ambulances along with doctors and other staff were deployed for medical support and treatment, they added as Prime Minister Narendra Modi visits Wayanad to take stock of the relief and rehabilitation work and meet survivors.

The Indian Army, the sources said, erected a 190-foot Bailey bridge in Wayanad which was crucial in facilitating the movement of heavy machinery and ambulances.

The bridge was completed in 71 hours, significantly enhancing rescue operations by allowing heavy vehicles and machinery to be mobilised to rescue around 200 people who were stranded due to damage to a bridge. Till now, 30 people have been rescued and 520 evacuated, and 112 bodies recovered by National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) rescue teams, they said.

The sources added that an Inter-Ministerial Central Team (IMCT) has been constituted by the Central Government to visit the affected areas.

The Centre has always lent a helping hand to Kerala through timely provision of funds to meet the challenge of disaster, the sources said.

This year, the Kerala’s State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) account had around Rs 395 crore on April 1. The first instalment of the central share of SDRF for the ongoing year of over Rs 145.60 crore was released in advance on July 31, they said.

In the last five years, around Rs 1,200 crore has been released by the Modi Government as the Centre’s share in SDRF out of the total State Disaster Response Fund of Rs 1,780 crore. In addition to this, the Government has also released Rs 445 crore for the State Disaster Mitigation Fund in the last five years, they added.