KAVALAPPARA (NILAMBUR): When the Express team met Sunilkumar at Panankayam rehabilitation camp, shock and disbelief were writ large on his face. Never in his wildest dreams had he thought that he would witness a gruesome tragedy of gargantuan proportions. He was one of the survivors of the devastating landslide that claimed the lives of 58 people of Bhoothanam colony in Kavalappara on Friday.
“I was in my house when the incident happened. It was raining heavily outside. I heard the sound of a huge crash at 8 pm,” he told Express. “I came out with a torch, but visibility was poor in the heavy downpour. All I could see was muddy water gushing through a small channel in front of my house. I was sure that a mudslip had occurred. Surprisingly, nobody was outside to alert others. The following morning, I was shattered to see the extent of the devastation. Nineteen houses in the valley were buried under a mound of debris,” said the 39-year-old.
Last year, the authorities had warned of a possible landslide in the region. However, the geologists who carried out a study testified that there was no such threat and the soil was strong. People believed it and did not bother to shift to safer places when the downpour started, said Biju Vadakkedathil, who works for Alcoholics Anonymous.
“We never knew that our neighbours were buried under mud and boulders. Luckily, the landslide spared our house,” said Sunilkumar.