"Deeply saddened," Singapore High Commissioner to India on Kerala landslide deaths
Jul 31, 2024
New Delhi [India], July 31 : Singapore High Commissioner to India, Simon Wong on Wednesday expressed his grief over the lives lost in landslides that struck Kerala's Wayanad region.
He said that his thoughts and prayers were with everyone affected.
In a post on X, the Singapore agency in India said, "Deeply saddened by the loss of lives from the landslide in Wayanad, Kerala. Thoughts and prayers with everyone affected. - HC Wong".
https://x.com/SGinIndia/status/1818487980287291575
The death toll in the Wayanad landslides climbed to 143 on Wednesday, with people injured, marooned and missing, according to the State Health Department.
Relief and rescue operations are underway in Wayanad's Chooralmala which was hit by a landslide yesterday.
The massive landslide wreaked havoc in the region as houses and roads were damaged, trees uprooted and water bodies swelled, hindering rescue operations.
Kerala is observing a two-day period of mourning till Wednesday. The national flag was flown at half mast at the state Assembly.
Rescue teams of the Army, Navy and Air Force, the NDRF, police and firefighters are continuing their search for survivors.
On Tuesday, Union Minister George Kurian reached Wayanad to take stock of ongoing relief operations, where he interacted with senior officials of the NDRF, CRPF and Army officials. He also visited a relief camp at Kalpetta.
https://x.com/GeorgekurianBjp/status/1818348028475879935
NDRF Commander Akhilesh Kumar has said "We rescued injured victims from Mundakkai village yesterday. We fear victims might be trapped in collapsed buildings... Till 10 pm last night, we rescued 70 people, after which we had to stop because of bad weather and rain... Since many teams are working, we cannot give an exact number of deaths, because we only know about the dead bodies our team has recovered... People have been given shelter in a resort and a mosque on the other side of the river. Since rainfall is going on, there are chances of another landslide."
Prime Minister's Office has announced a compensation of Rs 2 lakh for families of the victims and Rs 50,000 each for the injured.
