WAYANAD: Rescue teams on Thursday resumed the search for five people who remain missing after the devastating landslide at Kalladi in Kozhikode district, with operations entering their third consecutive day amid difficult weather conditions.
Authorities have divided the disaster site into four search zones to intensify the operation. Special teams will focus on the third zone, where preliminary inspections had indicated possible signs of trapped victims. A parallel search will also be carried out in the Meenakshi River to determine whether any of the missing persons may have been swept away by the strong currents.
Despite extensive searches on Wednesday, rescuers failed to locate any of the missing persons. Cadaver dogs had identified a few potential spots during the operation, but subsequent excavation did not yield any results.
Heavy rain that has continued since Wednesday night, coupled with the swollen river and strong water flow, has severely hampered rescue efforts. The unstable terrain has further complicated the operation, with fresh soil slips reported above the section where a retaining wall had collapsed, raising safety concerns for rescue personnel working in the area.
Multiple agencies, including disaster response teams, firefighters, police personnel and local volunteers, are continuing the search while closely monitoring the weather and ground conditions.
State ministers T. Siddique and A.P. Anil Kumar have remained in the district to oversee relief and rescue operations and coordinate with officials on the ground.
Meanwhile, the Kerala government is expected to constitute a special committee on Thursday to investigate the circumstances that led to the landslide and examine whether any lapses contributed to the disaster.
Leader of the Opposition Pinarayi Vijayan is also scheduled to visit the Kalladi disaster site later in the day to assess the situation and meet officials involved in the rescue operation.
The search is expected to continue until all those reported missing are accounted for.
