The Kerala government has updated the number of missing persons from the Wayanad landslide to 119, following the completion of DNA tests on decomposed bodies and body parts. The original missing persons list had included 130 names, but this figure has been adjusted based on DNA identifications. As of August 14, 401 DNA tests were conducted to help identify the recovered remains. The process was slowed by the challenge of testing decomposed body parts, with identifications now made by matching DNA to relatives.
In the aftermath of the disaster, CCTV footage from Chooralmala has revealed the severe impact of the landslide, showing floodwaters destroying shops and their contents. Rescue and relief efforts continue, with the state education department making arrangements for students displaced by the landslide. Students from the destroyed Vellarmala and Mundakkai schools will be accommodated at government higher secondary schools and a special facility in Mepaddi. Additional infrastructure, including classrooms and IT labs, is being built to support the 552 students from Vellarmala and 62 from Mundakkai.
Financial aid has been distributed to those affected, with Rs 72 lakh allocated from the SDRF and CMDRF, and Rs 10,000 provided to 617 individuals as emergency assistance. Another Rs 10,000 has been given to 124 people for the cremation and burial of remains. The landslide, which struck on July 30, caused extensive damage and resulted in over 200 deaths. The Kerala government has requested Rs 2000 crore from the Centre for rehabilitation, reporting a loss of Rs 1,200 crore in the region.
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