Kerala mourns as 8 victims laid to relaxation, solely a quantity marking their graves | Kochi Information

WAYANAD: A complete of eight unidentified our bodies of landslide victims have been buried in a grave at Puthumala on Sunday evening, accompanied by funeral prayers as per Hindu, Muslim and Christian beliefs by spiritual leaders who stood subsequent to one another.

The tragic depth of the catastrophe that wiped away two villages was evident at Puthumala, which itself bears the scars of one other landslide that claimed 17 lives and wiped away a plantation settlement in 2019.
Emotional sights abounded when the our bodies of individuals shattered by the landslide have been united in grief and delivered to the burial web site – 64 cents handed over by Harrison Malayalam Plantations, the place 30 graves have been dug up.

A number of individuals, together with relations of lacking individuals, had reached the spot at 4 pm to pay their final respects within the hope that their family members might be there among the many unidentified our bodies and physique components.
The government, in the meantime, mentioned in a launch that 221 our bodies and 166 physique components (taking the toll to 381) had been recovered thus far.
The our bodies included 87 girls and 37 kids whereas 172 of them have been recognized. Income minister Ok Rajan mentioned the variety of lacking individuals had come all the way down to 180 from 206 earlier, as authorities might contact a few of them over cellphone.
Officers to work 24×7: CM
On Sunday, Union minister for state Suresh Gopi visited the affected areas. Requested concerning the demand to declare the landslides as a nationwide catastrophe, he mentioned it was a matter that needs to be examined.
He lauded the rescue operations and mentioned he would apprise the Centre concerning the state of affairs right here.
At Puthumala, the our bodies, which have been saved in two halls at Meppadi, have been taken to the mass burial floor in a convoy of ambulances at 9pm, they usually have been delivered to the positioning at 9.50pm by well being employees sporting PPE kits.
The funeral prayers have been led by Kuttan, a karmi at Mariyamman Kovil, Fr Jibin Vattakalathil, vicar of St Sebastian Church, Chooralmala, and Musthalfal Faisi, qatib of Meppadi Juma Masjid.
DNA samples from the unidentified our bodies, which have been given particular numbers, have been collected and the method of accumulating blood samples of relations for crossmatching has additionally begun. Concrete poles bearing the quantity given to our bodies have been put in atop the graves.
In the meantime, rescue operations continued for the sixth day on Sunday, with extra personnel and tools being deployed in areas the place our bodies have been anticipated to be discovered. A drone-based detection system was additionally used to determine such areas.
Search operations additionally continued alongside the Chaliyarriver, on the banks of which scores of our bodies had washed up after the landslide.
Chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan mentioned officers of varied departments would work round the clock on the civil station in Kalpetta and the momentary management room in Chooralmala to finish catastrophe reduction duties. Over a thousand staff are working in 15 groups on the collectorate and in Mundakkai-Chooralmala.
Police have intensified safety in Chooralmala and Mundakkai, following complaints of thefts from the deserted homes.
“We now have been dwelling in reduction camps after fleeing from the spot. Once I went there the opposite day, what was left was only one wall and a cabinet, which was intact. My mom mentioned her purse was inside the cabinet, and I requested my pals at Chooralmala to go and test. After going there, my pals noticed the cabinet opened and garments have been strewn round and cash was lacking from the purse,” Chundakkal native Jayesh mentioned.
Additionally, an argument erupted after police allegedly requested the White Guard volunteers below MYL to cease meals distribution to the rescue employees. Following this, there have been experiences that rescue employees didn’t get ample meals on Sunday.
Nonetheless, income minister Ok Rajan rejected the costs, saying solely meals offered at assortment factors have been being distributed after checks carried out by meals security officers.