Wayanad Landslide: 289 deaths so far, Army constructs bridge in 16 hours to speed up relief operations
Wayanad| Indian Army took command of relief and rescue operations after massive disaster in Kerala’s Wayanad. On Thursday, soldiers completed construction of Bailey Bridge in record time of 16 hours on a river near landslide site. In video surfaced from Wayanad, army personnel were seen raising slogans of ‘Bharat Mata ki Jai’. Indian Army first moved its vehicles to other side of the river to test the bridge strength. Bridge built will now allow heavy vehicles to be transported to landslide site. Indian Army completed construction of this bridge in record time. 24-ton vehicle can be transported from this 190 feet long bridge. CL 24 Bailey Bridge connects Churlamala to Mundakkai on Iruvanipazha River.
Landslide in Kerala’s Wayanad has shaken the entire nation. Landslides have left four villages completely devastated and 289 people reported killed so far. Congress leader and former Wayanad MP Rahul Gandhi and his sister and Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra reached Kerala on Thursday and met the families of the victims. Heavy rain became a disaster in Wayanad on the intervening night of Monday-Tuesday. Landslides occurred three times between 1 p.m. and 5 p.m. and caused devastation in Churlamala, Attamala, Noolpuzha and Mundakkai, four beautiful villages nestled in the catchment of the Cheliyar river below the mountain.