THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan's office has sought the service of two Air Force choppers after a major landslide swept down a portion of the Pettimudi hills at Rajamala in Munnar, Idukki.
The Air Force's service was sought after reports of estate workers being trapped under debris surfaced.
The state government has also asked the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) team pre-positioned in Idukki to move to Rajamala and another team pre-positioned in Thrissur has been directed to reach Idukki at the earliest, where heavy rain has been lashing the district since the past couple of days.
Police, Fire force, Forest and Revenue department officials were also directed to speed up the rescue works in the wake of landslide and intensification of rain is predicted.
CM Vijayan urged people to remain cautious and persons living in accident prone areas were told to move to safer places.
While appealing for the cooperation of public, he also added that no laxity would be allowed.
Meanwhile, the health department has dispatched a mobile medical unit and 15 ambulances to the accident site, where rescue work is underway.
So far as many as five bodies have been recovered from the accident site where rescue workers have been fighting inclement weather and adverse terrain to remove the debris.