NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday carried out an aerial survey of disaster-hit areas of this north Kerala district where landslides claimed hundreds of lives. Later, he visited the landslide-hit areas of Wayanad.
Modi conducted aerial survey of the landslide-ravaged Chooralmala, Mundakkai, and Punchirimattom hamlets aboard an Indian Air Force helicopter, on which he departed to Wayanad from Kannur Airport around 11.15 am. In the aerial survey, he saw the origin of the landslide, which is in the origin of Iruvazhinji Puzha (River).
He was accompanied by Khan, Vijayan and Union Minister of State for Tourism and Petroleum and Natural Gas Suresh Gopi who travelled with the PM on Air India One.
The PM also visited the relief camp to meet and interact with the victims and survivors of the landslide in Wayanad.
The landslides, which occurred on July 30, have claimed the lives of over 300 people and left hundreds more injured. Indian Army, NDRF along with local emergency response departments have continued their massive search and rescue operation with teams now focused on the forested regions.
The Kerala government has enlisted the help of the families of the missing and local residents in the search efforts.
Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday while speaking at the Parliament demanded a ‘higher compensation’ and ‘comprehensive rehabilitation package’ for the people affected due to the landslide in Wayanad.
Gandhi also called on the government to declare the recent calamity in Wayanad a ‘national disaster’.
Agencies