As many as 173 people have died and over 200 injured in the massive landslides that hit Wayanad district two days ago, with the numbers expected to increase even more as rescuers unearth debris, the district administration said on Thursday.
The 173 dead include 23 children and 70 women. It said that 100 bodies have been identified and the post-mortem of 219 remains, including body parts, has been completed. It further said that 221 people were admitted to hospitals from the disaster-hit areas and of them 91 are still undergoing treatment.
Several people remain missing in landslide-hit Wayanad, where rescue operators are contending with adverse conditions, including waterlogged soil, as they search through destroyed homes and buildings for survivors or bodies. According to the government's official estimate on Wednesday evening, 191 people are missing, though official sources indicate that the actual number may be much higher.
The landslides occurred around 2 am and 4.10 am on Tuesday, catching people off-guard while they were sleeping, leading to a high number of casualties. Massive landslides triggered by torrential rains struck the picturesque hamlets of Mundakkai, Chooralmala, Attamala, and Noolpuzha, leaving behind a trail of death, destruction and despair.
