IDUKKI: Even as confusion regarding the exact number of people settled in Pettimudi before the landslide that claimed dozens of lives persists, the rescue team on Saturday recovered the bodies of more persons taking the total number of deaths in the incident to 26.
Reports said that more National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and Defence Security Corps and fire force teams have arrived at Pettimudi to strengthen the rescue operations. Roads and bridges leading to the area have also been washed away and hence access is extremely difficult.
Authorities and local residents feel that more bodies could be found under the mounds of rocks and soil that gushed down on Thursday night, taking along a section of the hill near the settlement.
Since the plantation workers settled in the area are migrant employees from Tamil Nadu, it is learnt that some of their relatives had come to Pettimudi before the landslide was triggered and the list of missing persons includes them too, the locals said.
Besides a 21-member family of former Munnar panchayat member Anantha Shivan is also feared to have been buried inside the debris. Many houses of plantation workers, a club and an estate canteen were washed away in the landslide.
Inaccessibility by road is the biggest challenge faced by the rescue workers and the marooned people.
Moreover, the formation of a gushing stream at Pettimudi in the area has made the situation even worse with the rescue workers saying there are chances that dead bodies might have floated down the stream. A search has been extended till 3 km down the settlement.
Official sources said that the inquest proceedings for the deceased had been completed and the post-mortems will be done on Saturday itself.