The deadly landslides that hit Kerala’s Wayanad district on July 30 have led to the deaths of more than 219 people as of August 4.
The Indian Army’s Madras Engineer Group built a “Bailey bridge”, assembled at Chooralmala, to reach Mundakkai village — one of the worst-hit sites .
The 190-foot Bailey bridge has been crucial in facilitating the movement of men, heavy machinery and ambulances.
It has a weight-carrying capacity of 24 tonnes and will remain in use until a permanent bridge is built.
A Bailey bridge is a type of modular bridge, one whose parts are pre-built so that they need minimal construction work and can be assembled quickly when needed.
The pre-fabricated parts in a Bailey bridge include light steel panels linked through pins, which are big, screw-like objects.
Donald Coleman Bailey, an English civil engineer, invented it during World War 2 (1939-45).
