49 children missing or dead in Wayanad landslides: Minister

Kerala general education minister, V Sivankutty, on Friday said at least 49 children have either been missing or dead in the devastating landslides that hit Wayanad district three days ago.

Speaking to the media in Thiruvananthapuram, Sivankutty said the government higher secondary school at Vellarimala has been completely destroyed by the natural disaster, while four other schools in the vicinity have also suffered major or minor damage.

"As per the reports, 49 children are either dead or missing. The Vellarimala GHSS has been completely destroyed. The GLPS Mundakkai has been partially damaged. Three other schools have also suffered minor damage," he said.

The minister added that many of the surviving children have lost their textbooks and certificates, among others, and the government will consider all these matters and help them after a discussion with the chief minister.

"The Vellarimala GHSS has to be rebuilt. The other four schools, including that at Mundakkai, require some maintenance work," he added.

According to the state government, 210 bodies, including those of 83 women and 29 children, have been recovered so far.

The government said that 218 people are missing, according to the records of Wayanad district administration, after taking into account Aadhaar documents, details of tourists, checking with Asha workers, and speaking to people in the relief camps and hospitals.

The district administration, meanwhile, said that around 9,910 people displaced by the landslides have been moved to 94 relief camps in Wayanad.

Several people remain missing, and rescue teams are battling adverse conditions, including waterlogged soil, as they search through destroyed homes and buildings looking for survivors and bodies.