Rescue operations after Wayanad landslides.
Credit: PTI Photo
Thiruvananthapuram: While more remains of victims were recovered in the ongoing search operation with the assistance of the survivors in landslides-hit Wayanad on Sunday, a preliminary report of the Geological Survey of India has cited excessive rain as the triggering factor for the tragedy.
"The loose and unconsolidated nature of overburden material resulting in rising excess pore pressure within due to incessant rain is assessed to be the triggering factor for all these incidences," GSI's first information report on the July 30 landslides said.
The GSI report also points out that as per National Landslide Susceptibility Mapping done in 2015-16 the landslide that hit Chooralmala, Mundakkai, Vellaramala and Attamala comes under Moderate Susceptibility Zone. The hilly areas around the affected region are also highly susceptible, according to the NLSM map.
Meanwhile, many survivors of the landslide joined the search operations at Chooralmala and Mundakai regions on Sunday.
Public works minister Mohammed Riyaz said that it needs to ascertain whether the body parts recovered were those of human beings themselves. He also said that the results of the DNA mapping being done to ascertain the identity of unidentified bodies would be released from Monday. Out of the 229 bodies recovered so far, 51 were yet to be identified. Apart from that nearly 200 body parts were also recovered so far.