Last Updated on 31/07/2024 by wccexam Desk
Amid heavy rains in Kerala’s Wayanad district, three landslides occurred in the hilly areas near Meppadi in a span of four hours on July 30 early morning, causing devastation in Mundakkai, Choorlamala, Attamala and Noolpuzha villages. Hundreds of people were swept away in the Chaliyar river. At least 158 people have died and more than 200 have been injured in this devastating natural disaster so far. According to government figures, more than 180 people are feared trapped under the debris. State government agencies including the Army and the NDRF are carrying out rescue operations.
45 relief camps have been set up in Wayanad, in which 3,069 people have taken shelter. In Wayanad, which is known for its picturesque natural scenery and tea plantations, pictures and videos of the tragedy are surfacing on social media, showing uprooted trees and damaged houses at many places. Officials in Wayanad district have started collecting data to determine the number of missing people. The number of missing people is being ascertained with the help of ration card details and other government documents.
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Aaj Tak’s team also reached Mundakkai village in Meppadi where the landslide occurred and spoke to the victims, eyewitnesses and relatives of those who lost their lives in this horrific disaster. The last rites of some of the victims were performed near the CSI Church grounds in Meppadi. Sharing his horrific experience, Stephen, a resident of Mundakkai, said, ‘It was raining the day before the disaster, but there was not much rain in the afternoon on the day of the landslide. Then it started raining heavily in the evening and no official asked the people of our street to go to the relief camps.’
Stephen said – there was a strong smell of mud, there were tremors
Stephen further said, ‘Many people in other areas had moved to camps. At 11.45 pm we could smell a strong odor of mud. There were tremors as if a helicopter was about to land. My son told me that we should leave the village. We opened the back door of our house at 12.30 and called the neighbors. But no one expected that it would be so big and destructive. No one came. When we were leaving the village, we were experiencing a landslide. We are lucky to be alive, but my family and neighbors are all dead. The husband and wife living in my neighborhood were lying dead holding each other’s hands.’
Stephen said that his sister also died after being buried under the debris of the landslide. He said, ‘I saved a 5-year-old girl. Her mother called my name asking for help. I tried my best but I could not lift her alone. She was stuck in mud up to her neck. We live in Mundakkai and the river is in spate and it is impossible to reach there. Most of the bodies found from our area were taken out of the river. I, my wife, my son and two other people are the only ones who survived in our area. The debris of the landslide is still lying all around in the area.’
Jayesh said- I saw water and trees flowing, people were stranded
Another eyewitness Jayesh shared his terrifying experience of the devastating disaster in a conversation with Aaj Tak. He said, ‘It rained heavily for two days. It was raining heavily in the evening before the landslide. The roads were flooded. Since this happens when it rains normally, we did not take it very seriously. By around 10 pm, we all slept. The first landslide occurred at around 1.30 am. There was a very scary sound. I immediately opened the door of the house and turned on the torchlight to see what was happening. I saw water and trees flowing near the houses located in the opposite direction.’
He further said, ‘There are three-four houses around mine. We called everyone and took them to safer places before the water came. At that time there was mud all around and people were trapped. We managed to save some of them. Then at around 3.30 pm, the second landslide occurred. About 200 houses were completely damaged in this landslide in High School Road. Only 4-5 houses are still left there. This is what I could see. People were living in most of these houses. In my wife’s family, 11 members of her family including her sister, sister’s husband are missing. The bodies of two of them have been recovered and have been identified.’
We felt like the whole mountain was going to fall on us: Eyewitness
Jayesh further said, ‘When the first landslide happened, if you had seen the situation at that time, you would have thought that no one would have survived. But there were people who were alive and we managed to save them. When we heard the loud sound of the landslide, we felt that the whole mountain was going to fall on us. We were fighting death at that time. Then we all walked through the forest. We made everyone sit there. At around 5.30 pm, the landslide happened again. Then we realized that it is better to get out. All our documents have been lost. We do not know what to do. We are clueless. Where to go, where to stay? For how many days can we go somewhere else? All these thoughts are going on in our mind now.’