A total of 108 people have been killed and 128 more are receiving treatment in hospitals after severe landslides caused by relentless rainfall in Wayanad's Mundakkai, Attamala and Chooralmala areas, according to a press note from Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Tuesday evening.

The first landslide occurred at 2 am on Tuesday, followed by another at 4:10 am.

Among the victims were children asleep during the wee hours. Many residents fled in terror, while 16 bodies along with several unidentified human body parts were found in Chaliyar at Pothukallu near Nilambur in Malappuram district, according to the press note from the chief minister; 34 bodies have been identified, and 18 have been released to families.

Many areas, including Meppadi, Mundakkai and Chooralmala, have been isolated, and roads have been washed away.

The Vellarmala GVH School was completely buried. The damage to homes and livelihoods is immense. Efforts to locate missing persons are still on.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, home minister Amit Shah, Tamil Nadu chief minister MK Stalin and Bengal governor C.V. Ananda Bose had called to express their condolences and offer assistance, the chief minister’s note said.

Five state ministers were in Wayanad to oversee the rescue and relief efforts, it said.

“Under their direct supervision and with the support of the army, the rescue operations are in full swing. Our priority is to save as many lives as possible, provide medical care to the injured, and relocate others to safer areas. In Wayanad, 45 relief camps have been established, accommodating 3,069 people. Across the entire state, a total of 118 camps are providing shelter to 5,531 individuals,” it added.

Various military units have been mobilised.

Two Indian Air Force helicopters, which departed from Sulur for Wayanad, are stationed in Kozhikode due to adverse weather conditions, the note said, adding that requests have also been made for the river-crossing team of the Indian Navy, one team from the ETF of the army, and one team from the Coast Guard.

It said 30-member NDRF teams from various districts have been sent to Idukki, Pathanamthitta, Alappuzha, Ernakulam, Kozhikode, and Malappuram districts. A group from Arakkonam has also been dispatched to Palakkad.

A control room has been set up at the Thiruvananthapuram police headquarters.

Besides local police, personnel from Kerala Armed Police Battalions, the Rapid Response and Rescue Force, and the Special Operation Group are involved. Specially trained police personnel from the High Altitude Training Center of KAP 5th Battalion and drone teams from various districts are also assisting.

Two police dogs trained in locating bodies are in use, with requests made for trained army dogs as well. Traffic arrangements are in place to facilitate the movement of army units and debris removal machinery.

Apart from the forensic team in Wayanad, a special team of forensic doctors from Kozhikode has been appointed to expedite the post-mortem process. DNA tests are being conducted to identify unidentifiable corpses.

Temporary hospitals are being set up and additional health workers have been appointed. Teams from Kozhikode, Kannur, and Thrissur Medical Colleges have been sent to Wayanad, along with additional doctors and nurses in critical departments. Private hospitals are also contributing medical teams.

Rapid-action medical units capable of operating in hilly areas have been dispatched.

Why did the Wayanad landslides happen?

Mundakkai, known as the epicentre of the landslides, is located in an area highly prone to disasters, the CMO note pointed out.

“However, the flowing soil, gravel, and rocks have landed in Chooralmala town, a region that is not prone to landslides and is 6 kilometres away from the epicentre. This area is a flat riverbank that has been inhabited for years. The epicentre of the landslide, however, is not a human settlement,” it said.

“People were evacuated due to heavy rains, which reduced the scope of the accident. An orange alert was issued for the area, with a warning that 64 to 204 mm of rain could fall. However, the area received 200 mm of rain in the first 24 hours and 372 mm in the next 24 hours, totalling 572 mm of rain over 48 hours. Rainfall and other natural disasters can be unpredictable, especially in the context of climate change. Unexpected heavy rains, cloudbursts, and landslides are part of this unpredictability.”