Wayanad Landslides: Assessing Safety and Ongoing Search Operations

A scientific team led by John Matthai has deemed most of Chooralmala in Wayanad safe for habitation except for Punchirimattom, the epicentre of recent landslides. The team is preparing a detailed report on safe areas. Meanwhile, search operations continue in Malappuram's Nilambur region for missing persons.

Most of Chooralmala in Wayanad remains safe for habitation, according to findings by a scientific team led by John Matthai from the National Centre for Geosciences. However, the epicentre of the recent landslides, Punchirimattom, is advised to be avoided long-term.

The team, tasked by the State Disaster Management Authority, will submit a detailed report to the government, demarcating safe and unsafe areas. The landslides, which struck on July 30, have dramatically altered the landscape, carving out new river paths and causing significant devastation.

Meanwhile, search operations persist in Nilambur, Malappuram district, where 118 people remain missing. Coordination between rescue forces and volunteers continues to be critical as operations focus on mud and rock accumulations in forest areas.