Kochi: The toll in the Kerala floods and landslides mounted to 75 on Sunday with 13 bodies being recovered from Kavalapara in Malappuram district where a massive landslide buried an entire village.
More bodies are likely to be recovered in the next few days as the rescue work was hampered by loose soil due to the landslide. The rescue teams could not deploy heavy equipment for fear of triggering another landslide.
Over 50 people have not been accounted for from this hilly terrain. The situation is similar in Puthumala in Wayanad district where a colony was wiped out due to landslide. Two bodies were recovered from here on Sunday
Former Congress president and MP from Wayanad Rahul Gandhi visited Kavalapara to take stock of the situation and later participated in a condolence meeting.
Meanwhile, there was some respite on Sunday as rainfall considerably reduced in many areas. While the Cochin International Airport became operational on Sunday, rail and road networks remained snapped in many areas.
