CHOORALMALA : For the first time in eight days, an Indian Air Force helicopter was pressed into service on Tuesday for aerial search as a 12-member rescue team embarked on a challenging mission, combing the trail of the torrent to trace persons missing in the devastating landslides in Wayanad.
No survivors or bodies were spotted in the high risk operation in Sunrise Valley below Soochipara waterfalls. Seven body parts were recovered. The aerial search will continue on Wednesday, official sources said.
The special team comprising Army commandos and Special Operations Group (SOG) commandos of Kerala police, alongside the watchers of the forest department, took part in the search operations from Soochipara to Pothukallu. Around 11.30am, the chopper took off with rescue personnel from the Subha Krishna Memorial Jain (SKMJ) school grounds in Kalpetta. Lt Col Rishi Radhakrishnan from the Pangode Army Camp in Thiruvananthapuram is leading the mission.
ADGP M R Ajith Kumar said most of the accessible areas have been covered, and the focus has now shifted to the inaccessible terrains.The team consists of trained commandos, specifically SOG commandos. The team was airdropped within 6km of Soochipara waterfalls.
District Collector D R Meghashree said the search efforts prioritised areas along the river, with concurrent operations continuing in other locations.
The official toll stands at 224. Besides, 189 body parts have been recovered so far, and 152 people are missing. Sixteen camps are currently operating, housing 2,225 people from 648 families. This includes 847 men, 845 women, and 533 children.
