In a tragic event on Tuesday, at least 106 individuals lost their lives in the tea estates and villages of Kerala, a region located in Southern India, due to sudden landslides. These unforeseen landslides were a result of a deluge of rain which led to the disintegration of hillsides, inducing an uncontrolled rush of earth, water and debris.
The catastrophe took place after midnight, when seemingly ceaseless rain battered the Wayanad district in Kerala, an area known to be one of the prime holiday spots of India. The majority of those who lost their lives were labourers from the tea estates and their families, residing in humble dwellings or temporary shelters.
Footage from television painted a grim picture with rescuers frantically working their way through upended trees and demolished tin structures as scattered rocks littered hillsides and tumultuous muddy water surged through. Rescue teams navigated with difficulty across a stream, hauling stretchers and other rescue supporting tools.
According to state officials, the sudden landslides resulted in at least 106 deaths, left 128 injured and multiples missing – however, local channel Asianet TV reported a higher death count at 119. This calamity is recorded to be the worst in the state since the deadly floods of 2018 that claimed almost 400 lives.
Kerala’s Chief Minister, Pinarayi Vijayan, informed the press, “We are still locating individuals who are buried underground or have been washed away. The rescue mission will proceed with every available resource and means.” He further mentioned that over 3,000 individuals have been relocated and are being housed in 45 relief camps in the district. Also, hundreds, including military personnel, are in search of survivors using the aid of drones and sniffer dogs.
Vijayan, a lone survivor, woke up suddenly in the midst of the night due to an earth tremor and falling electricity posts. He recalled that he and a few neighbours dashed towards local dwellings from where distress calls were coming, and they managed to rescue some injured individuals. As another landslide charged towards the premises with a deafening sound, Vijayan narrowly escaped a horrendous death by clutching onto a window frame. However, that move came too late as he witnessed his mother and sister become victims of the unforgiving mudslide without any capacity to help.
Military technicians were dispatched to construct an alternative bridge, substituting the one connecting the afflicted area to the closest town of Chooralmala that had collapsed. According to a declaration made by the chief minister’s office. V Venu, the Kerala chief secretary, shared with press that a compact crew had successfully traversed the bridge and arrived at the disaster location. Nonetheless, additional personnel will be required to expand assistance and initiate rescue operations.
In one of the severely impacted areas, Mundakkai, a defence chopper succeeded in landing. Approximately 250 inhabitants had been cornered on a mountaintop and within a vacation resort without sufficient provisions and medical aid and had been unreachable by air due to adverse weather conditions. Authorities stated that the helicopter landing would accelerate rescue tasks, prioritising the evacuation of the injured.
The impact was severely felt by the local community since all tourist activity had been suspended previously that week as a result of the torrential rain. Even though the area is popular amongst tourists, they weren’t the victims this time.
The chief minister noted that the relocation of several inhabitants from the disaster zone, prior to the catastrophic landslides due to the rainstorms, significantly curbed the number of victims. In spite of an initial prediction of 204mm rainfall in the region, the actual measurement had tripled to a staggering 572mm within 48 hours. In the face of unpredictable weather events triggered by climate change, the chief minister further warned of continuous rainfall across the state in the upcoming five days, emphasising the need for safety measures.
“The recent general election saw Opposition Chief Rahul Gandhi secure a position representing Wayanad. Despite the feat though, the leader stepped down as he was concurrently voted in at his family’s stronghold in the North. Gandhi has mentioned having discussions with the state Premier to assure inter-agency cooperation. Distraught by Wayanad’s frightening state, he divulged, “Witnessing the extent of the disaster in Wayanad is gut-wrenching.” On platform X, he proclaimed his plea for the national government to provide as much assistance as possible. — Reuters
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