CM Siddaramaiah condoles Wayanad landslide, announces Rs 5 lakh each for deceased Kannadigas

Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], July 31 (ANI): Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Wednesday expressed his condolences to the lives lost in the landslide in Kerala's Wayanad and announced a compensation of Rs 5 lakh each to the deceased Kannadigas.
The number of people who died in the landslides that struck the hilly areas of Meppadi in Wayanad district on Tuesday following incessant rainfall has gone up to 164, the Kerala Chief Minister said on Wednesday.
Sharing a post on his official X handle, Siddaramaiah said, "The death toll in Kerala's Wayanad landslide continues to rise. This is a very heinous tragedy, the fact that Kannadigas lost their lives in this tragedy made it even more painful."
He added, "The deceased Kannadigars will be given a compensation of Rs 5 lakh each. Meanwhile, I pray that the soul of the deceased may rest in peace."
The Karnataka Chief Minister asserted that the state administration has sent officials to Kerala for the rescue work. "Already, two senior IAS officers of the state, the NDRF team and the army teams are busy in the rescue work. Today Minister Santosh Lad is being sent to Wayanad to take charge of defense work. Saving the lives of the victims is our priority and our government is working hard to bring the Kannadigas in distress safely to Nadi," the post by Siddaramaiah said.
Meanwhile, the Southern Naval Command dispatched a disaster relief team of 68 personnel from INS Zamorin at Ezhimala to the landslide-affected areas in Kerala's Wayanad, officials said on Wednesday.
"Based on the request from the Kerala State Disaster Management Authority (KSDMA), the Southern Naval Command dispatched a disaster relief team of 68 personnel from INS Zamorin at Ezhimala to the landslide-affected site at 02.30 pm on July 30, 2024," the Southern Naval Command said in a statement on Wednesday.
According to an official statement, the rescue team, equipped with medical personnel and necessary equipment, arrived at the site at 10 pm the same day.
Additional teams are on standby and will be deployed at short notice as needed. An Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH) detachment in Search and Rescue (SAR) configuration was deployed from Kochi to Calicut at 07.30 am on Wednesday to support the rescue efforts.
The regional meteorological department has issued a warning for heavy rainfall in five districts, including Wayanad. An Orange Alert has been issued for Malappuram, Kozhikode, Wayanad, Kannur, and Kasaragod, while a Yellow Alert is in place for Pathanamthitta, Alappuzha, Kottayam, Ernakulam, Idukki, Thrissur, and Palakkad districts. No rain warnings are in effect for Thiruvananthapuram and Kollam.
The Kerala government is compiling a list of those affected by the landslide. Kerala Revenue and Housing Minister K Rajan said that the number of people involved in the accident will be available by this evening.
"The list will be prepared based on the ration cards and mustering records of plantations. The camps will continue, and comprehensive measures for rehabilitation will be taken soon," Rajan said. (ANI)