Idukki: The death toll in the landslide at Pettimudi near Munnar in the high-range Idukki district has gone up to 55 with three more bodies being recovered from the debris on Wednesday, officials said.

Operations led by the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) are continuing in the area even on the sixth day today to trace 15 more missing people.

"Till now, we have recovered 55 bodies. Earlier we rescued 12 people. Now 15 people are missing. The search is on even on the sixth-day, weather is favourable today for the search operations," Idukki Collector H Dineshan told PTI. The Collector said 82 people were affected in the landslide on August 7.

The settlements of estate workers were swept away by the landslip near Rajamala here and various agencies have been engaged in the rescue operations since then.

Huge mounds of earth and slush had destroyed a row of 20 one-room 'row houses' made of tin and asbestos sheets, which was housing at least 82 workers and their families early Friday morning.

 

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Mumbai, Mar 8 (PTI): The women’s wing of the NCP (SP) has written to President Droupadi Murmu, urging her to grant immunity from punishment against “one murder” as women want to kill the “oppressive mentality” and “rapist mindset”.

Rohini Khadse, the women’s wing president of the Sharad Pawar-led party, in the letter written on the occasion of International Women’s Day, pointed out the recent gangrape of a 12-year-old girl in Mumbai to highlight rising crimes against women and press for their demand.

“We, on behalf of all women, are demanding immunity (from punishment) to commit one murder,” Khadse said in the letter, aimed at targeting the state government over the law and order situation in the state.

She also cited a survey report stating that India was the most unsafe country for women as crimes, including kidnapping and domestic violence, were happening against them.

“We want to kill the oppressive mentality, the rapist tendency, the inefficiency of law and order… We hope our demand will be granted after giving it a serious thought,” Khadse added.

Reacting to the letter, Shiv Sena minister Gulabrao Patil said Khadse should tell whom she will murder. However, his party colleague Manisha Kayande offered a more sympathetic view.

Kayande, an MLC, said Khadse is probably talking about killing certain tendencies in some people. This feeling must be stemming from “the recent incidents”, she said.