Last Updated on 30/07/2024 by Arun jain
The whole country is saddened by the destruction caused by nature in Wayanad district of Kerala. The death toll in the horrific accident caused by the landslide after the rain is constantly increasing. So far, 123 people have been confirmed dead. At the same time, more than 90 people are reported to be missing, while a large number of people have been rescued from the debris by the NDRF, Army, Navy and Air Force personnel. 128 people are reported to be injured. The weather in Wayanad is still bad. There is a red alert due to heavy rains. Therefore, the rescue team is facing a lot of difficulty. The Kerala government has announced two days of mourning after the tragedy.
The affected families are searching for their loved ones buried under the debris. The help of drones and dog squads is also being taken. According to the Chief Minister, the place (Mundakkai) where this landslide occurred falls in the high-risk disaster area and people do not live there. From there, soil, stones and rocks rolled down to Choorlamalla, which is 6 km away from the place where the landslide started. This is not a sensitive place and many people have been living here for years. In view of this, there has been a huge loss of life here.
Perhaps no one has ever seen such a devastating effect of nature due to landslides after heavy rains in Wayanad. The pictures of the devastation taken by drones are enough to tell the scene of devastation. Floods are visible everywhere. The number of people killed in the landslide is increasing continuously. The debris is still spewing out dead bodies of people. Many people are still buried under the debris. More than 116 people are said to be seriously injured in the accident. The Army, Air Force and Navy are engaged in relief and rescue work. The situation is so bad that the rescue team is facing great difficulty in removing the bodies of the people.
More than 200 army personnel were also involved in the rescue operation.
The devastation caused by nature in Wayanad can be gauged from the fact that 10 bodies have been recovered from Pothukallu area of Mallapuram, about 50 km from where the landslide occurred, which were washed away in the Chaliyar river. According to the rescue team, more people may still be buried under the debris. About 250 personnel of Civil Defence, Police, Fire Department, SDRF, NDRF are engaged in rescue operations. At the same time, about 225 soldiers of the Army’s 122 Infantry are engaged in rescue operations. The Indian Air Force has sent 2 helicopters from Sulur Airbase in Coimbatore, which are continuously evacuating people from the debris.
The rescue operation started on time in Choorlamala area of Wayanad, but the rescue team had a lot of difficulty in reaching Mundakai area because most of the roads leading there were destroyed. The government says that first the rescue operation should be completed, then work will be done on relief and then rehabilitation.
4 villages were washed away due to landslide
Four villages were washed away due to landslides and floods. Many settlements were buried under debris due to landslides after heavy rains in areas like Meppaddi, Mundakkai, Choorlammala, Attamala, Noolpuzha of the district. The situation is so difficult that army personnel had to be deployed for rescue operations. It is hard to believe that where there was greenery till yesterday, there is only debris. Now there is only a scene of devastation all around. There are debris of houses buried with the land that slid after the rain.
Locals say that this period of heavenly havoc came twice in Wayanad. Once at 2 o’clock in the night, a landslide occurred in the Choorlamala area, in which many houses, vehicles, shops were destroyed. After that, at around 4:10 in the morning, the havoc of landslide broke out once again. The Choorlamala area has suffered the most in this tragedy, which happened about 20 kilometers away from Kalpetta city of Wayanad.
CM appeals to people for help
Meanwhile on Tuesday, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan appealed to people to come together to rebuild destroyed lives and livelihoods, as they did in 2018 when floods ravaged the state. CM Vijayan said many people are offering help, but more help is needed to rebuild affected areas and lives, and urged everyone to contribute to the Chief Minister’s Disaster Relief Fund.
Vijayan said that the initial landslide occurred at 2 am and the next one at 4.10 am, so the destruction was caused in Mundakai, Choorlamala and Attamala areas of Wayanad. All the people were sleeping during this time. As a result, many people were swept away or trapped in the debris, leading to a large number of deaths and dozens are still missing. 34 bodies have been identified and 18 of them have been handed over to their families. The Chief Minister also informed that 16 bodies have been recovered from the Chaliyar river in Pothukal village of neighbouring Malappuram district. Apart from this, search and rescue teams have also recovered body parts of the people who were swept away.
He said several places in the hill district, including Mundakai and Choorlamala, have been cut off from the rest of the area due to landslides that have washed away roads in the area. “The Vellaramala GVH school located there has been completely buried under the ground. A river flowing through there has now split into two. There has been huge loss to homes and livelihoods. Efforts are on to find those trapped under the debris or those swept away,” he added.
45 camps set up in the district
The CM said, “As soon as we got information about the accident, we coordinated the rescue operations. Five ministers of the state went to Wayanad to coordinate and lead the search and rescue activities. Rescue operations are underway with necessary equipment under the direct supervision of the ministers. Fire forces, NDRF, police, etc. are working together. Help from military units has also been provided on an immediate basis. Various units of the Army and Navy are also involved in the rescue operation. Efforts are being made to save maximum lives, provide better treatment to the injured and shift others to safer places. 45 camps have been set up in the district and about 3,069 people have been rehabilitated there.”
Tamil Nadu provided aid of Rs 5 crore
CM Vijayan said many people are offering help but more is needed to rebuild the affected areas and lives and urged everyone to contribute to the Chief Minister’s Disaster Relief Fund. He said Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin has offered Rs 5 crore assistance to Kerala, while Cochin International Airport Limited (CIAL) has offered Rs 2 crore. The CM has announced that the state will observe two days of official mourning over the tragic loss of lives in the Wayanad landslide. Public events and functions will not be held during this period and the national flag will fly at half-mast.
The issue of Wayanad landslide also echoed in Parliament
The opposition has demanded that the natural disaster in Wayanad be declared a national disaster. Expressing grief over the accident, PM Modi has assured Kerala of all possible help. Home Minister Amit Shah spoke to Kerala CM P Vijayan over the phone and took stock of the situation. Rahul Gandhi said that a roadmap should be prepared for the rehabilitation of the victims. At the same time, Rahul Gandhi, who was an MP from Wayanad, will meet the victims of the accident on Wednesday. There is a red alert for heavy rain in many districts of Kerala. Red alert is also issued in Kozhikode, Malappuram, Wayanad, Kasargod. The central government will provide assistance of Rs 2 lakh each to the families of the deceased. At the same time, the injured will be given financial assistance of Rs 50,000 each. Army, Navy and Air Force are engaged in rescue work in Wayanad.