Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed deep distress over the tragic landslide incident in Kerala’s Wayanad district, which occurred during the early hours of Tuesday in various hilly areas near Meppadi. The incident resulted in eight fatalities, left several injured, and left over a hundred people feared trapped.
Taking to social media platform X, formerly Twitter, PM Modi stated, “Distressed the landslides in parts of Wayanad. My thoughts are with all those who have lost their loved ones and prayers with those injured.” He further informed that rescue operations were underway to assist all those affected. He also spoke with Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan to get details about the ground situation and assured all possible help from the Centre.
The Prime Minister announced an ex-gratia of ₹ 2 lakh from Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund (PMNRF) for the next of kin of the deceased. Those injured would be offered a compensation of ₹ 50,000.
Former Wayanad MP and Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi offered condolences to the families of the deceased. In a post on X, the Congress leader stated, “I am deeply anguished by the massive landslides near Meppadi in Wayanad. My heartfelt condolences go out to the bereaved families who have lost their loved ones. I hope those still trapped are brought to safety soon.”
He further noted that he also spoke with the Kerala CM in addition to the Wayanad District Collector. Rahul Gandhi urged “them to ensure coordination with all agencies, set up a control room, and inform us of any assistance needed for the relief efforts.” The Rae Bareli MP added, “I will speak to Union Ministers and request them to provide all assistance possible to Wayanad. I urge all UDF workers to assist the administration in the rescue and relief operations.”
The Fire Force and National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams have been deployed to the affected area, with an additional NDRF team en route to Wayanad, the Kerala State Disaster Management Authority (KSDMA) informed.
