Politics

Kerala Landslides: Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Visit Wayanad for Relief Efforts

On Thursday, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, the sister of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, and she visited Wayanad’s Chooralmala, the scene of terrible landslides that left over 250 people dead and over 200 injured. In Wayanad, the enormous landslides that occurred in the early hours of July 30 severely damaged Mundakkai and Churalmala. The worry of an increase in deaths among authorities. While searching for missing persons, rescue crews are working against the clock to locate them and are having difficulty navigating difficult terrain without heavy equipment to unearth those who have been buried.

On Thursday afternoon, Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra reached Kerala, one day after inclement weather forced them to postpone their trip to the southern state. According to reports citing unnamed officials in the Congress, the two would tour several relief camps set up in the Wayanad district’s landslide-prone districts. At 9.30 am, Gandhi and Vadra touched down at Kannur airport, from which they proceeded by road to Wayanad. Through the day, they arrived in Chooralmala. They are accompanied by KC Venugopal, the MP for Alappuzha, and the general secretary of the AICC.

The party disclosed Gandhi and Vadra’s itinerary, which includes stops at two relief camps at Meppadi, a Community Health Center, Dr. Moopen’s Medical College, and the site of the Chooralmala landslide. This year, Gandhi, the winner of the Wayanad Lok Sabha seat in the 2019 general elections, triumphed from this seat once more. But he also won the Raebareli LS seat in Uttar Pradesh, hence he forfeited the Wayanad seat, which Priyanka is anticipated to run from in the upcoming by-election.

Rescue ops facing challenges

Heavy machinery was reportedly needed to remove the massive trees that were uprooted in the landslides that also buried many dwellings, according to rescue workers. “There is a stink coming from underneath the building where we are standing on its terrace, suggesting that bodies may be present. The building is completely submerged in muck and uprooted trees,” a rescue operator who wishes to remain anonymous was cited as saying. Excavators were available, according to the operator, but not enough of them were for the job at hand.

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“In order to examine the collapsed structures and remove the enormous trees, heavy machinery is needed. We can only advance the search efforts after that,” he continued. The state revenue minister, K Rajan, claims that more than 1,600 rescue personnel—including members of the police, NDRF, Army, Navy, and Fire and Rescue—are engaged in rescue efforts in the area affected by the landslide.