In the early hours of July 30th, amidst incessant rains, the hilly regions near Meppadi in Kerala's Wayanad district experienced three landslides over four hours. This calamity struck the villages of Mundakkai, Chooralmala, Attamala, and Noolpuzha, causing utter devastation. Hundreds were swept away into the Chaliyar River, resulting in at least 158 confirmed fatalities and over 200 injuries. According to government data, more than 180 individuals are feared trapped under the debris. Rescue operations are ongoing with the support of the army, NDRF, and other state agencies.
45 relief camps have been set up in Wayanad, sheltering 3,069 people. Social media is abuzz with harrowing images and videos of Wayanad, once known for its stunning landscapes and tea estates. The visuals depict uprooted trees and damaged houses. District officials have begun collecting data to determine the number of missing people using ration card details and other government documents.
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The AajTak team arrived in the landslide-hit Mundakkai village in Meppadi and spoke with survivors, eyewitnesses, and the families of those who lost their lives in this tragic disaster. The last rites of some of the victims were performed near CSI Church in Meppadi. Mundakkai resident Stephen shared his horrifying experience, recounting, 'It was raining the day before the disaster but not heavily on the landslide day. Suddenly, heavy rain started in the evening, and no officials advised our lane's residents to move to relief camps.'
Source: aajtak
Stephen describes the intense smell of mud and shaking ground
Stephen continued, 'Many people from other areas had shifted to relief camps. By 11:45 PM, we smelled an intense odor of mud and felt tremors as if a helicopter was landing. My son suggested we should leave the village. At 12:30 AM, we opened the back door of our house and called our neighbors, but no one anticipated the landslide's magnitude. No one came. As we were leaving the village, we could feel the landslide happening. We are lucky to be alive, but my family and all my neighbors are gone, found dead holding each other’s hands.'
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Stephen also mentioned that his sister was buried under the landslide debris. He said, 'I saved a 5-year-old girl whose mother called my name for help. I tried my best, but I couldn't lift her alone. She was buried up to her neck in the mud. We live in Mundakkai, and reaching the river is now impossible due to flooding. Most of the bodies recovered from our area were found in the river. Only my wife, my son, a few others, and I survived. The landslide debris still covers the entire region.'
Source: aajtak
Jayesh recalls seeing water and trees flowing, people trapped
Another eyewitness, Jayesh, shared his terrifying experience with AajTak. 'Heavy rain continued for two days. The evening before the landslide, it was raining heavily. The roads were flooded, which sometimes happens during heavy rain, so we didn't take it too seriously. By 10 PM, we all went to bed. Around 1:30 AM, the first landslide occurred with a frightening noise. I immediately opened my door and shone a flashlight to see what was happening. I saw water and trees flowing near the houses opposite.'
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Jayesh continued, 'There are three-four houses next to us. We called everyone and moved them to safer places before the water level rose. At that time, there was mud everywhere, and people were trapped. We managed to rescue some of them. Around 3:30 AM, the second landslide hit. About 200 houses on High School Road were completely destroyed. Only 4-5 houses are left. Most of these houses had residents. My wife’s family, her sister, brother-in-law, and 11 other family members are missing. Two bodies have been recovered and identified.'
Source: aajtak
Survivor felt the mountain was collapsing
Jayesh further explained, 'Seeing the first landslide, you’d think no one would survive. But there were survivors, and we managed to save them. When the landslide roared, it felt like the entire mountain was collapsing on us. We were fighting death at that moment. We all walked through the jungle pathway. We sat everyone down there. At 5:30 AM, another landslide occurred. We realized it was better to leave. We lost all our documents. We don’t know what to do. We are clueless. Where to go? Where to stay? How long can we stay somewhere else? These thoughts are overwhelming our minds.'
