Blitz Bureau
NEW DELHI The death toll in the massive landslides at Churalpara in Kerala’s Wayanad on July 30 has gone up to 41, district authorities said. The landslides were reported to have occurred at around 2 a.m. and the area remains cut off. The worst affected areas include Churalpara, Velarimala, Mundakayil and Pothukalu.
Authorities said that several parts of the affected areas continue to remain cut off and a sudden increase in the number of dead has been reported from Pothukalu. The Harrison Malayalam plant is another area that has been cut off and its general manager has told the media that a few of their managers are reported to be missing, while several labourers have been moved to safer places.
A team of the Territorial Army and their medical team from Kozhikode have moved towards Wayanad. Due to the inclement weather, two helicopters were unable to land in the affected landslide areas and are now waiting at Kozhikode. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan in the morning held discussions with top Kerala State Disaster Management Authority ( KSDMA) officials in the state capital city. According to reports around 400 families are trapped in a few areas at Churalmala.
