Five dead in massive landslides in Wayanad

Wayanad (Kerala): Five people, including two children, were confirmed to have died in landslides that hit Kerala's hilly Wayanad district on Tuesday, authorities said.

Of those killed, four people, including a child, died in the Chooralmala town of the district, while a one-year-old child of a Nepali family died in the Thondernad village, according to the Wayanad district authorities.   The Mundakkai, Chooralmala, Attamala, and Noolpuzha villages were among the areas affected and cut off by the landslides, authorities said.

In a video message, UDF MLA T Siddique said district authorities were drawing up plans to airlift people from the Mundakkai area.

"Currently, we have no complete information about those missing and dead in the landslides. Many areas have been cut off. NDRF personnel are trying to reach those places." he said.

Meanwhile, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said in a Facebook post that two Air Force helicopters will depart for Wayanad from Sulur shortly to take part in the search and rescue operations.  According to district authorities, several families have been moved to the various camps or homes of their relatives in the wake of the landslides.