• On the third day of the Wayanad landslide, the Army built a 100-foot-long bridge overnight to aid in rescue operations.
• The bridge was opened to the public, allowing trapped people to be evacuated quickly
Wayanad: On the third day of the Wayanad landslide in Kerala, the Army built a 100-foot long bridge overnight and opened it to the public to safely rescue the affected people. This will help further in rescue operations and allow trapped people to be evacuated as quickly as possible. The Madras Engineers Group (MEG) also built a 100-foot long bridge overnight in Choorlamalai, opening it to the public.
Soldiers of the 122 Infantry Battalion of the Territorial Army from the Western Hill Barracks of the Army, Calicut, have launched a search and rescue operation from Vellarimala to Attamala from the severely landslide affected areas. Major General VT Mathew, General Officer Commanding, Karnataka and Kerala Sub Area, has reached Mappady village in Wayanad district and taken command of the rescue operation. He met Kerala Governor Arif Mohammad Khan and Chief Minister P. Vijayan and informed them about the ongoing rescue operations.
The Indian Air Force has been carrying out rescue and relief operations in coordination with other agencies like NDRF and the state administration. Air Force transport aircraft have played an important role in the evacuation operations and supplying vital logistics. Transport aircraft C-17 has transported 53 metric tonnes of essential supplies such as Bailey bridge, dog squad, medical aid, and other necessary equipment for rescue relief operations. AN-32 and C-130 are being used to transport relief material and personnel. Challenging weather is hampering the flying of aircraft, but these Air Force aircraft have transported rescue teams and evacuation teams to the disaster area.
Air Force Wing Commander Jaideep Singh said that the Air Force has deployed a fleet of various helicopters for rescue operations, including MI-17 and Dhruv Advanced Light Helicopters (ALH) for HADR operations. Despite widespread bad weather conditions, Indian Air Force aircraft are engaged in evacuating stranded people to the nearest medical facilities and safe areas and supplying essential goods until late evening of 31 July. As part of the rescue operation, these helicopters have airlifted a large number of people from the affected areas and taken them to safer places.
