THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Even as multiple agencies are engaged in rescue operations at multiple sites of massive landslides in Kerala's hilly Wayanad district, late in the evening today Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan gave an update saying nearly 93 bodies have been recovered till Tuesday evening from various locations in the Wayanad district.

Several reports quoting government officials have estimated that at least 123 people, including several children, are dead even several families are still missing, raising fears of more fatalities as many people were caught off-guard as they were sleeping when tragedy struck in the hilly region were believed to be trapped under the debris.

The landslides were so massive that they washed away everything in the small hamlets that flowed down the hills along with single houses and multisoreyed buildings, uprooted trees, vehicles and cattle leaving a trail of destruction and sluggishness which has been hampering rescue operations.

Among the most affected areas are Mundakkai Punchirivatta, Chooralmala, Attamala and Noolpuzha where roads have collapsed and a bridge has been swept, making several areas have become unreachable, Health Minister Veena George said the rescue teams were trying to re-establish the connectivity and Helicopters will also be brought in, but the weather is bad.

The otherwise scenic hill station of Mundakkai famous for its tea plantations and green plateaus, which is said to be the epicentre of the landslide wore a terrible look with the maximum causalities reported as hundreds of residents and plantation workers are still stranded in the area. The Indian Army's rescue team has already reached Mundakkai are making all-out efforts to reach out to those who may be still stuck in the area. They are also carrying out rescue operations by helicopter and several sorties have been undertaken so far to evacuate those who are stranded. 

A report in Manoramaonline has quoted the Principal of Vellarmala VHSS Bhavya who informed that 19 students of Vellarmala school could not be contacted. She is quoted saying that there were 552 children in the school, out of which 533 children were contacted. He said they were safe, but he was worried about the rest of the students.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and assured all possible help from the Centre. "The Prime Minister has announced ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh from Prime Minister's National Relief Fund (PMNRF) for the next of kin of each deceased in the landslides in parts of Wayanad," PM's office said in a post on X. The injured would be given Rs 50,000.

Congress leader and former Wayanad MP Rahul Gandhi has said he is "deeply anguished" by the calamity and expressed his condolences to families who lost their own. "I hope those still trapped are brought to safety soon," he said in a post on X.