Kerala: Wayanad is grappling with the aftermath of severe landslides that have claimed hundreds of lives, with many still missing. Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has responded to Union Minister Amit Shah’s assertion that the state was warned about the disaster in advance. Shah claimed in the Rajya Sabha that Kerala was alerted about the potential calamity on July 23, which, if heeded, might have reduced the loss of life.
In his response, CM Vijayan refuted Shah’s comments, stating that no red alert was issued before the landslides occurred. He emphasized that the focus should be on addressing the crisis rather than assigning blame. “The Centre did not announce a red alert for Wayanad before the disaster. Landslides happened before any warning was issued. This is not the time for blame; the priority is to resolve the situation,” Vijayan said.
As of now, relief operations are ongoing. Vijayan reported that 144 bodies have been recovered, 191 people are still missing, and 5,500 have been rescued. Over 8,000 victims have been relocated to 82 relief camps.
