Thiruvananthapuram: With around 180 people still missing even six days after the Wayanad landslide, the state government has initiated a DNA matching process of the unidentified bodies with that of the family members of the missing persons.
Despite extensive search at the landslide-hit areas and the river up to around 40 kilometres along the forest, only two bodies and 10 body parts could be recovered on Sunday.
The total deaths confirmed by the government so far is 221, which include 97 men, 87 women and 37 children. Relatives so far identified 172 bodies. This apart, 166 body parts were also recovered, mostly from the Chaliyar river. The unofficial death toll is around 375
An official involved in the rescue operation told DH that the chances of people washed away through the forest areas being caught by wild animals could not be ruled out. However, the presence of man-eating animals in the region is comparatively less. Carcasses of a couple of sambar deer were recovered during the search operation.
The search is also focused on the Soochipara waterfall. During the 2019 Puthumala landslide, several bodies were recovered from Soochipara. At least five bodies of the 2019 landslide couldn't be traced yet.
Already DNA samples of the unidentified bodies and body parts are being preserved before the funeral is performed. Now, a medical team will be collecting blood samples from the family members or blood relatives of the missing persons and it would be matched with the DNA samples of the unidentified bodies and body parts.
The state government is also vetting the list of missing persons with the help of data of family members as per ration card records. As per a preliminary estimation of the government, there were 1,721 houses and 4,833 residents in the landslide-ravaged three wards - Mundakkai, Chooralmala and Attamala in Meppadi panchayat. The local self government department will be initiating a process of estimating the loss suffered by the people, along with other departments.
Government sources said that in case bodies could not be recovered after conducting a thorough search, the government will exercise special powers to declare the missing as dead so that the dependents would not be denied due compensations.
Meanwhile, mass funeral of the unidentified bodies were performed at a mass burial ground set up at Puthumala.