Death and gloom surrounded the Pettimudi area, around 15 km from Rajamala in Munnar, as anxious and distressed survivors waited in the rain, hoping and praying that rescuers would find someone alive below the debris and slush. But hopes were dashed, as 17 more bodies were pulled out, taking the death toll from this devastating landslide to 43. The most heartbreaking sight was when rescuers pulled out the body of a six-month-old infant. The infant's mother Gayatri and the rest of the family also died in the landslide.

55 thousand patients cured of Corona in India

Rekha Nambiar who is heading the NDRF team told the media that the focus was in shifting the large Rocks that had come tumbling down on to the small houses that the tea estate workers were living in. "We are using heavy machinery to remove the rocks first," she said. The rescue operations resumed for the third consecutive day despite heavy rains. However, according to NDRF, these sensors and even sniffer dogs can help in detecting survivors efficiently, but not to find dead bodies. "We need to physically search and find bodies. But we have only a few hours per day to do this as it becomes precarious to continue the search when it rains heavily or as it becomes evening," one rescuer told a leading media house.

More than 70 people died in Russia of covid19 in last 24 hours

Minister for Forest K Raju who visited Pettimudi on Sunday said that two staff of the Forest department died in the landslide while four are missing. Opposition Leader Ramesh Chennithala, Shafi Parambil MLA, Dean Kuriakose MP and BJP State President K Surendran have also visited the spot. Kerala government on Friday declared Rs five lakh ex gratia for the famili3s of the deceased. Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced Rs two lakh each for the families of the deceased. 

Telangana administration gives instruction after fire broke out in COVID care centre