242 Migrant Labourers Stranded in Landslide-Hit Wayanad District

West Bengal Labour Minister Moloy Ghatak reported in the assembly that 242 migrant labourers from the state are stranded in Wayanad district, Kerala, due to a landslide. Contact has been made with 155 labourers. The state will arrange transport for those wishing to return. 205 people died in the landslide.

West Bengal Labour Minister Moloy Ghatak informed the assembly on Friday that 242 migrant labourers from the state are stranded in landslide-hit Wayanad district in Kerala.

Responding to a query by Hingalganj TMC MLA Debes Mandal, Ghatak stated that the state administration has successfully established contact with 155 of these labourers.

"As per our data, 242 labourers from Bengal are stranded in Wayanad district. We have established contact with 155 of them. Efforts are ongoing to reach the others," he said.

Ghatak highlighted that labourers from Bengal are highly skilled and thus in demand in the southern state. The stranded labourers hail from Jalpaiguri, Alipurduar, Darjeeling, Paschim Medinipur, Murshidabad, and Birbhum districts of West Bengal.

The minister affirmed that if labourers wish to return from the affected areas, the state administration will arrange transportation and see to their well-being. Ghatak also mentioned that 21,59,737 migrant labourers from West Bengal have gone to different states, with 3,65,123 migrating to Kerala alone.

The landslides have claimed 205 lives and injured 264 people. Additionally, 130 body parts were recovered, and with nearly 200 people still missing, the death toll is likely to escalate, according to the Kerala Health Department.