Superstar Mohanlal, the renowned Malayalam superstar and Lieutenant Colonel in the Indian Territorial Army, visited Wayanad on Saturday to support ongoing search and rescue efforts following devastating landslides. The landslides struck Kerala’s hilly district on Tuesday, leading to a tragic loss of life.
Dressed in his Army uniform, Mohanlal arrived at the Meppadi camp and promptly engaged with military officers overseeing the operations. He then embarked on an excursion to the affected areas in an Army vehicle, stating, “We are going to the affected areas now.”
As of August 3, more than 300 fatalities have been reported in Wayanad due to this natural disaster. Efforts to locate survivors continue as search operations stretch into their fifth day. The armed forces, alongside National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), state disaster teams, and local volunteers, have intensified their rescue missions.
Official reports indicate that 341 autopsies have been conducted so far, with 146 of those victims successfully identified. The situation remains critical as teams work tirelessly amid challenging conditions to recover those still missing.
On Thursday, the Army achieved a remarkable feat by constructing a 190-foot-long Bailey bridge in record time. This bridge serves to reconnect Mundakkai and Chooralmala, two villages that were among the hardest hit by recent landslides. Additionally, Attamala and Noolpuzha villages also faced significant impacts from the disaster.
A key focus of the ongoing rescue operation is the banks of the Chaliyar River, which stretches over 40 kilometers through Wayanad, Malappuram, and Kozhikode districts. So far, more than a hundred bodies have been recovered from both the river and its banks.
The causes behind this large-scale disaster are under scrutiny. Local experts have pointed to negligence by state authorities as a contributing factor. Moreover, some researchers have attributed the extreme weather conditions experienced in Kerala to climate change. This phenomenon led to unprecedented rainfall in the region, ultimately triggering devastating landslides across vulnerable areas.
