Fleeting Hope in Wayanad: Radar Signals Breathing Amid Landslide Debris

Despite signs of life detected using an advanced radar system in Wayanad's Mundakkai village, the landslide search was called off without finding any survivors. Rescuers faced uncertainty, as the breathing signals could have been from human or animal. Kerala's CM remains hopeful as efforts persist.

Hope briefly flickered in Wayanad's landslide-hit village of Mundakkai as rescuers detected signs of life using an advanced radar system, but the search operation was called off at 9.15 pm without any concrete results.

An intense search was carried out, with debris removed using machinery, after an official involved in the operation said that a ''blue signal'' (indicating breathing) was received on the radar while combing through a severely-affected area where a house previously stood.

However, the official clarified that it was unclear whether the breathing signal was from a human or animal.

A consistent signal of breathing was detected in repeated radar examinations, prompting the government to intervene and issue a directive to carry out the operation to rescue anyone who might still be alive.

In a late evening Facebook post, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said the search for life continues, with radars detecting even the slightest movements, offering glimmers of hope.

''Amid the darkness and rubble of the collapsed building, rescuers continue their efforts, determined to find any remaining survivors,'' he said.

The remains of the building are buried around two-to-three metres below the muddy soil.

According to local residents, the signal was detected in the area where the kitchen and store room of the house were previously located.

Based on the signal, rescuers had started digging into the spot. But at 9.15 they stopped the unsuccessful search. ''Today's operation is over. The signal could have been of a snake, rat or cat. There is no human life beneath that particular basement. That is confirmed,'' the official said.

(With inputs from agencies.)