Wayanad, Kerala, India, July 31 (HBTV): The death toll in the Wayanad landslide disaster in Kerala has climbed to 143 as of the early hours of July 31. The tally is likely to surge as landslides completely washed away Mundakkai, Chooramala areas of Vellarimala on July 30.      

Horrific visuals at the site show catastrophic scenes with uprooted trees, mangled houses, and belongings of deceased people. The rescue teams including Indian Air Force have swung into action to carry out evacuation operations.   

According to Kerala Health Minister Veena George, the postmortem of 116 bodies has been completed. 

High-level meeting was held under the leadership of Chief Minister Vijayan to coordinate rescue operations in the affected areas.      

Two-day mourning is being observed in Kerala for those killed in the deadly landslide. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi and others expressed condolences besides offering assistance. Efforts are underway to locate missing people and relief items are being distributed to people affected by the landslides.