PM Modi arrives in Kannur to take stock of tragedy, leaves for Wayanad

Kannur: Prime Minister Narendra Modi landed at the Kannur airport in Kerala on Saturday morning and left for Wayanad, which has been ravaged by landslides since the disaster struck on July 30, killing 416 people and leaving over 150 missing.

He is accompanied by Union Minister of State for Tourism Suresh Gopi, who is the only BJP MP to win from Kerala. Modi was received at the airport by Kerala Governor Arif Mohammad Khan, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and top officials of the central and state governments. Soon after, PM Modi, along with others, left for Wayanad by a helicopter. He will conduct an aerial survey of four villages devastated by the landslide in Kalpetta.

In Wayanad, Modi will meet patients in hospitals and some relief camps where over 10,700 people affected by the landslide are staying. Modi will then chair a review meeting. Arif Mohammad Khan, Vijayan and other officials will attend this meeting. Then they will return to Kannur airport at around 3.30 pm and then head back to New Delhi.

More than 1,200 rescue workers from NDRF, Army, Air Force, Navy, Fire Services, Civil Defence etc. were deployed in Wayanad for rescue and relief operations ahead of PM Modi’s visit.

More than 100 ambulances along with doctors and other medical staff have been deployed for medical assistance and treatment. The Indian Army built a 190-foot long Bailey bridge in Wayanad, which is important for the movement of heavy machinery and ambulances. The construction of this bridge was completed in just 71 hours, which helped heavy vehicles and machinery greatly in rescue operations and about 200 people could be saved.

Apart from this, the central government has formed a committee to visit the affected areas of the state. The team has been in Wayanad for the last two days and will complete its tour on Saturday.