It feels like when my father died: Rahul in Wayanad
#News Bureau August 1,2024
Rahul Gandhi visited Wayanad on Thursday and met the victims of the tragedy. He took stock of the area. After meeting the people in Wayanad, Rahul Gandhi told the media, ‘This is a terrible tragedy for Wayanad, Kerala and the whole country. We have come here to see the situation. It is sad to see how many people have lost their family members and their homes.’ Rahul was accompanied by his sister and Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi.
Rahul said, ‘Today after spending time with the bereaved people of Wayanad, I am feeling the same deep sorrow that I felt on the day my father died. Many people here have lost their entire family. Their pain has increased even more.’
Rahul said, ‘We will try to help and ensure that the survivors get their due. Many of them want to resettle. A lot needs to be done here. I want to thank everyone, including doctors, nurses, administration and volunteers.’ He said that this tragedy is huge, and a lot of work needs to be done to heal Wayanad.
Rahul said, ‘Now is not the time for politics. The whole country stands with Wayanad in this difficult time. We should unite and work together to provide all the necessary assistance to help the people.’
Priyanka Gandhi said after meeting people in Wayanad, ‘We have spent the whole day meeting people who are suffering. This is a huge tragedy. We can only imagine the kind of pain people are going through. We are here to provide as much solace and help as possible. A similar tragedy has happened in Himachal Pradesh. Tomorrow, we are going to have a meeting and plan how we can help, especially the children who are left alone.’
The death toll has risen to 277 while over 200 people have been injured as of Thursday morning following the devastating landslide in the hilly areas near Meppadi in Wayanad district of Kerala. Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has confirmed that 240 people are missing while over 1,500 people have been rescued from the affected areas.
Also, CM Pinarayi Vijayan chaired an all-party meeting in Wayanad to discuss the landslide crisis. The meeting was held at the APJ Abdul Kalam Memorial Hall at Civil Station in Wayanad. The CM also mentioned the challenges in bringing machinery to aid in rescue operations. CM Vijayan also informed that 45 relief camps have been set up in Wayanad, which have sheltered over 3,000 displaced people.
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has said that rescue operations in the landslide-hit area may take a few more days, and a cabinet sub-committee of four ministers has been appointed to coordinate rescue efforts, PTI reported. The four ministers will camp in Wayanad.
