Kerala Seeks Defence Aid Amid Devastating Wayanad Landslides

The Kerala government has requested Defence forces' assistance following severe landslides in Wayanad. A 43-strong team led by a Second-in-Command from the 122 Infantry Battalion has been deployed, along with additional personnel from the Indian Army and Air Force. The landslides have isolated several villages, causing extensive damage.

The Kerala government on Tuesday sought the assistance of the Defence forces for rescue operations following devastating landslides in Wayanad district.

A Defence PRO reported that a team of 43 personnel, led by the Second-in-Command from the 122 Infantry Battalion (TA) MADRAS, has been mobilised to support the ongoing rescue efforts. This team includes a Medical Officer, two Junior Commissioned Officers (JCOs), and 40 soldiers equipped to provide critical aid.

In addition, a Defence statement indicated that two rescue columns, each with approximately 200 soldiers from the Defence Security Corps (DSC) Centre in Kannur, alongside medical teams from the Military Hospital in Kannur and Territorial Army troops from Kozhikode, have been deployed based on a requisition received from the Kerala government. The state's request outlined the urgency of rescuing around 250 individuals stranded due to a major landslide in Meppadi Panchayat within Vythiri Taluk.

The military assets deployed include two helicopters from the Air Force Station in Sulur, although adverse weather conditions pose challenges for the operations. A state government release mentioned that an additional request for assistance from the Navy was made at the Chief Minister's behest, with the Navy's River Crossing Team from the Ezhimala Naval Academy in Kannur set to join the ongoing rescue efforts.

Landslides, triggered by heavy rains early Tuesday, have severed the picturesque villages of Mundakkai, Chooralmala, Attamala, and Noolpuzha from other areas and caused widespread destruction, including the demolition of homes, swelling of water bodies, and uprooting of trees.

(With inputs from agencies.)