Rahul Gandhi meets Wayanad landslides victims: How I felt when my father died
KERALA,AUG 1 : Congress MP Rahul Gandhi, along with party leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, visited the landslide site at Chooralmala in Kerala’s Wayanad. The Congress leaders took stock of the situation in the area and met the affected people.
Speaking to the media after meeting people in Wayanad, Rahul Gandhi said, “It is a terrible tragedy for Wayanad, for Kerala and the nation. We have come here to see the situation. It is painful to see how many people have lost family members and their houses. We will try to help and make sure that the survivors get what is their due. A lot of them want to be relocated. There is a lot that needs to be done here. I would like to thank all those including doctors, nurses, administration and volunteers.”
“Today, I feel how I felt when my father died. Here people have not just lost a father but an entire family. We all owe these people respect and affection. The whole nation’s attention is towards Wayanad,” he added.
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As many as 256 people have died so far after three landslides struck Wayanad on Tuesday, following heavy rain. Mundakkai, Chooralmala, Attamala, and Noolpuzha villages in the Kerala district were the worst affected due to the landslides.
Over 200 people are also injured in the landslides. The Army has rescued around 1,000 people and 220 people are still missing, as rescue operations entered the third day on Thursday.
A Command and Control Centre has been set up in Kozhikode by the Army for coordinating Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) efforts, PTI reported. Kerala Health Minister Veena George said, “At least 1,500 Army personnel have been deployed for the rescue operation. We have deployed forensic surgeons.”
The Indian Meteorological Department has predicted more rain for Wayanad and several other districts over the next couple of days. A red alert for heavy rain has been issued for Idukki, Thrissur, Palakkad, Malappuram, Kozhikode, Kannur and Kasargod districts.
Several countries, including the US, Russia, China and Iran, expressed condolences over the deaths due to landslides.
-PTI
