Wayanad landslides: Kin of victims, survivors included in search team
Wayanad (Kerala) (PTI): A massive search operation began on Friday, including survivors and the relatives of the victims in the search team, to find those who are still missing in the aftermath of the devasting landslides that hit Wayanad district on July 30.
According to the state government, 131 people are missing in the landslides that hit Mundakkai and Chooralmala hamlets in the district.
The search operation was planned to be a day-long one, but the authorities informed that it would conclude at 11 am as the area needed to be handed over to the Special Protection Group (SPG) in view of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's scheduled visit on Saturday.
The authorities have brought four members from each relief camp to assist the rescue workers in identifying the places and locations.
Meanwhile, Minister P A Mohammed Riyas told the media that the search operation, including the relatives of the victims in the search team, will continue on Sunday.
"Today we need to end the search operation due to security reasons. We will continue on Sunday," Riyas said.
The government has arranged excavators and other equipment, and hundreds of rescue workers are also taking part in the operation.
The search operation in the disaster-hit Mundakkai and Chooralmala areas are held in six zones.
On Thursday, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said that the relatives are being made part of the search operation as a "last ditch effort" to find people who are still missing as all other possible means have been exhausted.
According to officials, the number of deaths due to the devastating landslides has increased to 226.
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TN polls: TVK pushes DMK behind with leads in 83 seats, AIADMK ahead in 54
Chennai (PTI): New entrant TVK, led by actor-politician Vijay, was leading in as many as 83 constituencies on Monday when counting of votes polled in the April 23 Assembly polls was on across Tamil Nadu. The AIADMK was leading in 58 seats while the ruling DMK was ahead in 34, EC data showed.
About two hours after the postal ballots were counted and EVMs opened for multi-round counting, Vijay's Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam surged ahead of its Dravidian rivals-- the DMK and the AIADMK, with the ruling party struggling to catch up.
If the trends maintain, Vijay could as well ensure the biggest electoral upset, something in lines with the "1967,1977" wins he had referred to in his campaign speeches.
While the Dravidian stalwart CN Annadurai brought the first non-Congress government in Tamil Nadu post-independence in 1967, the charismatic MG Ramachandran (MGR) installed the maiden AIADMK government 10 years later, unseating then DMK government under M Karunanidhi. TVK was leading in most Chennai segments, all considered DMK strongholds and currently represented by the party in the 234-member House.
A poor show by DMK could belie most exit polls giving an edge to it, riding on the number of populist measures Chief Minister M K Stalin had implemented in his five year "Dravidian model," inclusive governance.
According to EC and TV reports, 15 cabinet ministers, including Stalin were trailing. His son and deputy CM Udhayanidhi was also behind in his incumbent Chepauk-Tirvuvallikeni seat, according to a number of reports.
Stalin was trailing behind TVK's VS Babu by 1234 votes in Kolathur segment. Vijay was ahead in Tiruchirappalli East by over 3,000 votes at the end of two rounds of counting, according to EC data.
BJP is trailing in 26 constituencies and it is ahead in Thali segment alone. TVK is ahead in constituencies including Ponneri, Tiruvallur, Poonamalle, and Avadi.
AIADMK is leading in segments including Katpadi, and Guidyattam and party chief Edappadi K Palaniswami is ahead in Edappadi segment by 7003 votes.
DMK was leading in segments including Vellore, Anaikattu and Rishivandiyam.
