Kalpetta, July 9 (IANS) The death toll in the Wayanad mudslide tragedy climbed to five on Thursday after rescue teams recovered two bodies from the debris, even as the search resumed for three people who remain missing.

State Agriculture Minister T. Siddique, who is at the accident site, said that both bodies have been removed to the hospital.

The mudslide occurred near Meenakshi Bridge at Kalladi on Thursday, where the Wayanad end of the tunnel road project is under construction.

Personnel from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), Fire and Rescue Services, police, forest officials and local volunteers fanned out across the accident site as excavators and earth-moving equipment continued the painstaking effort to clear tonnes of slush and boulders.

Intermittent rain and unstable terrain continued to hamper rescue operations.

The tragedy has once again turned the spotlight on the fragile hill terrain of Wayanad, where recurring landslides and mudslips have raised concerns over habitation, infrastructure projects and disaster preparedness.

Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan, who visited the disaster site on Wednesday evening after reviewing the situation, directed officials to continue the rescue mission without interruption and ensure all possible assistance to the affected families.

The government has also ordered close monitoring of vulnerable locations in the district in view of continuing rainfall.

Leader of Opposition Pinarayi Vijayan reached the site on Thursday morning along with CPI(M) State Secretary M.V. Govindan to assess the situation and interact with rescue personnel and local residents.

Vijayan’s visit comes barely two months after he had travelled to the same area as Chief Minister to inaugurate work on the proposed tunnel road project, highlighting the dramatic transformation of the location from a development site to the scene of a major disaster.

As anxiety mounted among relatives of those still unaccounted for, rescue teams pressed ahead with the search, expressing hope that the remaining missing persons could be traced despite the difficult conditions.

With heavy rain continuing across parts of the district, authorities have urged people living in landslide-prone areas to remain vigilant and follow evacuation advisories issued by the district administration.

–IANS

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