"Someone, please come help us! We've lost our home. We don't even know if Naushin (a family member) is alive or not. She's stuck in the mud, her mouth filled with mud and sand. Please save her."
These were the cries of a woman trapped in the landslide-hit Churalamala area of Wayanad, Kerala. The woman was crying loudly as a girl was stuck in the mud in her house. Though she somehow managed to save herself, she couldn't rescue the girl trapped in her house and was now pleading for her life.
The scene of the landslide in Wayanad resembled a devastated area hit by a cataclysm. People trapped under the rubble and destroyed homes were crying out for help, waiting for a savior to save their lives. Videos released after the disaster showed people wailing and pleading for rescue. Residents were either trapped in their homes or stranded on collapsed bridges and flooded roads, unable to find a way to travel.
Source: aajtak
The landslide in Wayanad has caused severe destruction, with many homes destroyed, water sources overflowing, and trees uprooted, hindering rescue efforts. Once known for its beauty, the villages of Mundakkai, Churalamala, Attamala, and Noolpuzha are now engulfed in sorrow due to the landslide.
Unsettling visuals from the aftermath of the landslide are emerging. Videos show a landscape filled with mud and a person trapped in it. The victim is so deeply stuck in the mud that they can't even make an effort to get out.
73 Lives Lost So Far
According to District Collector Meghashree DR, a total of 73 people have died so far. Additionally, 9 bodies were recovered from the Chaliyar river in Malappuram. The deceased's bodies have been sent to hospitals for identification and post-mortem. Officials said the villages of Mundakkai, Churalamala, Attamala, and Noolpuzha are affected and cut off due to the landslide.
Rescue Teams at Work
Vehicles washed away in the floodwaters are seen stuck in tree trunks or submerged in various places. Water bodies have changed their course and are flowing through residential areas, creating a more devastating scene. Rescue teams, including the Indian Army, are making every effort to free the trapped people. Besides the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), the state government has deployed police and fire brigade disaster response teams in the affected areas.
Source: aajtak
Collector Meghashree said relief work is ongoing in the affected areas. Rescue operations are being carried out by NDRF, fire brigade, police, forest, revenue, and local departments. Volunteers and local residents are also helping in the rescue mission. The collector also mentioned that the shutters of the Banasura Sagar Dam on the Karamanthodu river have been opened, and people living in low-lying areas have been warned to stay alert.
The UDF MLA T Siddique said in a video message that district officials are planning to evacuate people from the Mundakkai area by air.
He mentioned that they don't have complete information about the people missing or dead in the landslide. Many areas are cut off, and the NDRF personnel are trying to reach those locations.
Government Seeks Army Help
Hundreds of people are feared to be trapped in the landslide, but officials have not yet confirmed it. People trapped under the rubble and destroyed homes cried out for help. Anxious phone calls highlighted the severity of the deadly landslide.
State Revenue Minister K Rajan said, "Over 70 injured people have been admitted to hospitals due to the landslide. The Kerala government has sought the help of the Indian Army for the rescue operations."
The Defense PRO informed on Tuesday that a team of 43 personnel from the 122 Infantry Battalion (TA) Madras, led by the second-in-command, has been deployed to assist in the ongoing rescue efforts. This team, including one medical officer, two junior commissioned officers (JCO), and 40 soldiers, is deployed to provide critical assistance in the affected area. Their deployment aims to augment the existing rescue operations and offer relief to people affected by the landslide.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed concern over the incident, stating, "I have spoken to the Union Minister of Food and Civil Supplies, Pinarayi Vijayan, and assured all possible assistance from the Center to the state. I am distressed by the landslides in some parts of Wayanad. My sympathies are with those who have lost their loved ones, and I pray for the speedy recovery of the injured."
CM Vijayan said in a social media post that two Air Force helicopters would soon be departing from Sulur (Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu) for Wayanad to participate in the search and rescue operation.
The deceased include four people in the Churalamala town of the district, including a child. According to Wayanad district officials, a one-year-old child of a Nepalese family died in the Thondarnad village. Officials said three bodies, including a five-year-old child, were recovered from the riverbank near Pothukal village.
Source: aajtak
PM Modi Expresses Grief
Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his condolences, saying, "I have discussed the situation with Union Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and assured him of every possible help from the Center. Distressed by the landslides in parts of Wayanad. My thoughts are with those who lost their loved ones, and I pray for the injured to recover quickly."
CM Vijayan mentioned in a social media update that two Air Force helicopters will soon depart from Sulur in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, to assist in the search and rescue operations in Wayanad.
