Lagatar24 Desk
Wayanad: Tragedy struck Wayanad district in Kerala as relentless rains triggered catastrophic landslides, resulting in the deaths of at least 121 people, injuring 128, and leaving hundreds missing. The disaster unfolded at dawn on Tuesday, obliterating a remote hamlet, burying neighborhoods in mud, and destroying vital infrastructure, including roads and a bridge.
The district experienced a staggering 572mm of rainfall over two days, culminating in two deadly landslides between 1am and 4am in Chooralmala village. The torrents of water and mud from the landslides devastated Mundakkai village downstream, severing the only bridge connecting the two hamlets. Despite the India Meteorological Department (IMD) predicting 64mm to 200mm of rain, the deluge far exceeded expectations.
Rescue operations were severely hampered by ongoing rains and the destruction of infrastructure. The army and National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams, along with two Indian Air Force helicopters, faced challenging conditions as they worked to save lives and provide aid. The swelling waters of the Iruvanzhinji river further complicated efforts, forcing rescue teams to navigate treacherous terrain.
Condolences poured in from across India, including from President Droupadi Murmu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and Rahul Gandhi, former Wayanad lawmaker and Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan convened a meeting with his cabinet and dispatched five ministers, including Disaster Management Minister K Rajan, to oversee rescue and relief operations in Wayanad.
“Entire families, including children who were sleeping, were buried under the earth before dawn broke. Others were swept away in the landslide’s force…This is a heartbreaking tragedy,” said Vijayan during a press conference in Thiruvananthapuram.
The bodies of several victims washed downstream by the floods were discovered in the Chaliyar river in Nilambur village, seven kilometers south of Mundakkai. Local officials reported that most of the victims were tea estate workers living in small homes along arterial roads or at the base of plantations.
Since 2017, nearly 900 people have perished in Kerala due to extreme rain and landslides. Experts attribute this to unregulated development along the Western Ghats, one of India’s most ecologically fragile regions, and the impacts of climate change. The absence of forest cover and the replacement of large trees with plantation crops have exacerbated the effects of continuous heavy rainfall.
Tuesday’s landslides marked Kerala’s worst calamity since the August 2018 floods, which killed 483 people and displaced over a million. Experts emphasize the need for mapping landslide-prone areas and implementing mitigation measures to address the growing frequency of natural disasters in ecologically sensitive regions.
Support for the affected region continues to pour in, with Prime Minister Modi announcing a compensation of ?2 lakh to the next of kin of the deceased and Rahul Gandhi advocating for enhanced compensation and the restoration of vital infrastructure.
