The devastating landslide in Wayanad, Kerala, has claimed 413 lives as of Thursday, with rescue operations on their tenth day still searching for 152 missing individuals.
Search efforts, involving over 1,000 personnel from the Defence forces and various agencies, commenced early in the morning.
Teams are primarily focusing on the Chaliyar River’s source in Wayanad and its course through the Malappuram district.
To date, authorities have recovered 78 bodies and over 150 body parts. They will conduct DNA testing on the remains before placing them in a designated burial ground on land previously owned by Harrison Malayalam plantations.
The authorities will however mark each grave with a number and will notify families if DNA results match their loved ones.
Currently, over 10,800 displaced individuals are staying in more than 100 relief camps across the affected areas.
Efforts are underway to relocate these residents to alternative accommodations, with local authorities exploring unused buildings and locked homes for potential housing.
State Education Minister V. Sivankutty announced that schools in the affected regions will stay closed, and online education will serve as an interim measure until normalcy is restored.
