Wayanad landslides: Death toll reaches 308, rescue operations intensify with drone-based radar
Wayanad: In a tragic incident, landslides triggered by heavy rainfall have claimed the lives of at least 308 people in Kerala's Wayanad district. The death toll has risen steadily as rescue teams, including personnel from the Indian Army, Navy, Coast Guard, and the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), continue their search for survivors. The challenging terrain, exacerbated by damaged roads and bridges, has hampered rescue efforts, making it difficult to access the affected areas.
To aid in the search for those still trapped under the rubble, a drone-based radar system will be deployed. Additionally, rescue teams have been divided into six zones, each covering specific areas such as Attamala, Aaranmala, and Mundakkai. The operation also includes the use of helicopters and the involvement of local experts in swimming.
Four more dogs from Tamil Nadu will join the six currently assisting in the rescue operations. Meanwhile, 25 ambulances have been mobilized to transport the injured, with a Bailey Bridge constructed by the Indian Army enabling access to the remote areas.
The district remains under a red alert for heavy rainfall, with the India Meteorological Department predicting more rain in Wayanad and neighboring districts. Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra are closely monitoring the situation and have been present in the area to oversee relief efforts along with the local authorities.
As the rescue operations enter their fourth day, the number of casualties is expected to rise. The international community, including US President Joe Biden, has expressed condolences to the victims' families and praised the resilience and bravery of the rescue teams.
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Two injuries, one DNF, a DQ as India end messy World Relays campaign
Gaborone (Botswana) (PTI): Amoj Jacob and Ragul Kumar got injured during the men's 4x400m and 4x100 races respectively as India ended their World Athletics Relays campaign in disappointment on the second day of competitions here on Sunday.
The Indian camp had high hopes of making the 2027 World Championships in the men's 4x400m relay but the team did not finish (DNF) the race as Jacob suffered cramps and pulled out of the race after taking the baton from the first leg runner Dharamveer Choudhary. Rajesh Ramesh and Vishal TK were to run in the third and fourth legs.
Those teams which could not qualify for the 2027 Beijing World Championships by reaching the final round of each of the six relay events on Saturday were given another chance in the second qualification round on Sunday.
The top two teams in each of the two heats (in all six relay events) booked the Beijing ticket on Sunday.
India will now have to try and qualify for the World Championships through the Top Lists of the World Athletics, which is a long and tedious process.
In the men's 4x100m race, third leg runner Ragul Kumar fell down the track after failing to hand over the baton inside the exchange zone to fourth leg runner Gurindervir Singh, which clearly showed the lack of coordination among the runners.
Harsh Santosh Raut and Animesh Kujur ran the first two legs.
The Indian quartet was disqualified and Kumar was seen being taken away from the Field of Play with the help of the volunteers.
It was a comedy of errors in the case of the women's 4x100m race, which saw the baton being dropped during an exchange between first leg runner Tamanna and second runner Nithya Gandhe, though the Indians finished the race in 53.09 seconds.
Gandhe started running quite a distance, but after realising that the baton was not in her hand, she turned and ran back to pick it up.
The only silver-lining for the Indian contingent was the national record time in the mixed 4x100m relay race, though the quartet of Ragul Kumar, Nithya Gandhe, Animesh Kujur and Sneha SS finished sixth in heat number two with a time of 41.35 seconds, bettering the previous national mark of 42.30 seconds set in March in Chandigarh.
The mixed 4x400m relay quartet of Theerthesh P Shetty, Kumari Saloni, Nihal William and Rashdeep Kaur ended at fifth in heat number one with a time of 3 minutes and 19.40 seconds.
On Saturday, all the five Indian relay teams had failed to make it to the respective final rounds and thus missed out on the 2027 World Championships berths.
