The loss of life toll of Tuesday’s large landslides in India’s southern state of Kerala rose to 256, confirmed the state’s Well being Minister Veena George on Thursday whereas talking to native media.
She mentioned one of many essential focuses of the state authorities was to forestall the unfold of contagious illnesses within the space, because it was nonetheless raining there and our bodies lay underneath the rubble of the landslides.
“Thus far we have now carried out autopsy on 256 lifeless our bodies, which incorporates human physique elements too. 154 lifeless our bodies have been handed over to the district administration after the autopsy. Genetic samples of human body-parts recovered are being collected and DNA exams on lifeless our bodies are additionally being carried out. It’s going to assist us in figuring out the lifeless our bodies and human limbs at a later stage,” the minister informed media.
“I visited the hospitals and aid camps. Our precedence is to offer psychological help, and concentrate on controlling contagious illnesses,” mentioned the official.
In line with her, one other 220 individuals have been nonetheless lacking, and the rescue work was on to tug out the injured individuals from underneath the rubble of the landslides.
Inside a span of two hours three landslides had hit the Meppadi space of Kerala’s Wayanad district early on Tuesday morning amid heavy rain, whereas the individuals have been nonetheless asleep. The tragedy was described as one the most important in current occasions within the southern state.
The state authorities had arrange aid camps to accommodate these rendered homeless after the pure tragedy. Over 3,500 individuals have been rehabilitated in these aid camps.
Hundreds of personnel of the Indian Military, the Indian Air Pressure, the Indian Navy, the Nationwide Catastrophe Response Pressure, state-level catastrophe administration physique, native police, medical doctors, medical groups, and different native administration officers have been put into service to hold out the rescue work, and likewise present aid and succor to the survivors, a neighborhood authorities official informed Xinhua over telephone. ■
