Wayanad Landslide Dead Body Last Rites : As more bodies and human organs are recovered from the landslide-affected areas of Kerala's Wayanad district, the state government has issued guidelines for burying the bodies, including collecting DNA and teeth samples. Many of the bodies found in the affected areas have not been identified. According to the guidelines issued by the Disaster Management Department, everybody or body part will be given an identification number and it will be clearly mentioned in all samples, photographs, videos, and records of physical objects related to the bodies.

It said that the police will make every possible effort to identify the bodies or human organs and if even after this the bodies are not identified, then after 72 hours of investigation, they will hand over the body to the district administration for further action.

The guidelines issued on August 2 said, "The district administration will inform the Meppadi panchayat and the panchayat or municipality in which the cremation ground is situated. In cases where the concerned doctor has advised in writing that the body should be buried immediately due to decomposition or other reasons, the body will be handed over to the district administration immediately without any waiting." It said, "The dead bodies will only be buried."

'Necessary records of burial place details must be maintained'

The district administration has also been directed that the panchayat or municipality officials should be present at the place where the bodies are buried. The guidelines say, ‘The district administration will have to keep necessary records of the details of the burial place for reference.’

'Whose identity is disputed or doubtful'

Similar guidelines are also in place for bodies that have been identified but have not been claimed and whose identity is disputed or doubtful. Four days after the massive landslides in Kerala's Wayanad district, 215 bodies and 143 human organs have been recovered from the affected areas so far. At the same time, 218 people are still missing.