US president Joe Biden expressed his deepest condolences on Thursday (1) on the deadly landslides in Kerala and commended the bravery of the service members and first responders supporting the complex recovery effort.
At least 200 people have died and over 200 others injured in the massive landslides that hit Kerala's Wayanad district on Tuesday (30), with the numbers expected to rise as rescuers unearth debris.
“Jill and I extend our deepest condolences to all those affected by the deadly landslides in the state of Kerala in India. Our prayers are with the victims of this tragic event, and we mourn with the families who have lost loved ones,” Biden said in a statement.
“We commend the bravery of the Indian service members and first responders supporting the complex recovery effort. We will continue to hold the people of India in our thoughts during this difficult time."
Russian president Vladimir Putin also extended his condolences.
The disaster was the worst in Kerala since deadly floods in 2018. Experts said the area had received heavy rain in the last two weeks that softened the soil before extremely heavy rainfall on Monday (29) triggered the landslides.
Meanwhile, four people were rescued from a house on Friday (2), three days after devastating landslides, as search operations accelerated after the building of a key bridge that helped transport heavy equipment to the affected area.
Two men and two women were found alive by the army in a marooned, remote area on Friday, V T Mathew, a top army commander, said.
"They were not buried, they were just in a remote area," he told Reuters, adding that one of them was injured.
Rescue efforts were hampered initially after Mundakkai, the worst affected area, was cut off from the nearest town of Chooralmala as the main bridge connecting them was washed away.
Heavy vehicles had begun to ply on the 190-foot (58-metre) bridge constructed by army engineers, and drones with earth-sensing technology to find bodies buried in mud are being brought in, the army said in a statement.
Rescue teams have deployed additional forces, including swimming experts, to focus on the Chaliyar river and its river banks where bodies are likely to be found.
Nearly 1,600 people have been rescued from hillside villages and tea and cardamom estates during the last two days, according to authorities, with nearly 350 buildings damaged.
(Agencies)
Bob Blackman MP speaks during the event