Wayanad: The army has completed the construction of a bailey bridge connecting the landslide-hit Mundakai and Chooralmala on Thursday evening to ease the search and relief operations. The bridge with a weight capacity of 24 tonnes was opened for people after riding an army jeep through it to test its strength. Indian Air Force airlifted the materials needed for the bridge from Delhi to Kannur airport on Wednesday. Later, the load was taken to Wayanad by 17 trucks. The army commenced the construction work by evening and continued it till night.
In the visuals aired on Manorama News, an ambulance of the Indian Army was seen crossing the bridge. The construction of the bridge confirmed that rescue and relief efforts to Mundakai and Chooralmala which were hit by two massive landslides would be carried out effectively.
Due to its length, the bridge is being built with a pier in the middle of the river. Though the army planned to complete the work by Thursday morning, heavy rain disrupted their efforts on Wednesday.
Army men engaged in the bridge work. Photo: Onmanorama
According to officials, the army’s rescue operation is being coordinated under the leadership of Major General V T Mathew, General Officer Commanding (GOC) of the Kerala and Karnataka Sub Area. An additional 100 army personnel will soon arrive at the disaster site to support the rescue operation. Three sniffer dogs, trained by the army to detect people buried under soil, are expected to arrive at the disaster site by Wednesday night. The dogs will be flown in from Meerut on a special Air Force plane, arriving at Kannur airport, and then transported to the disaster site, officials said.
Meanwhile, the volunteers halted the search operations by Thursday evening. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan told the media that the army confirmed that all stranded people were rescued from Mundakai and Chooralmala.
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