MEPPADI : Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Community Hall in Meppadi is now a sombre place of reflection and sorrow. As of Monday morning, the hall housed 24 bodies and three body parts recovered from the recent devastating landslide, all of which remained unidentified.
The walls of the hall were lined with photographs of the disfigured bodies, each marked with a body number and postmortem details. These haunting images, showing the faces of those lost in the disaster—some with bulging eyes, mud-encrusted faces, and visible ornaments—tell a story of unimaginable loss and grief.
Residents and relatives who believe they might recognise someone are urged to use these numbers to assist in the identification process. “It took six days to identify the first body,” said Jayesh, a volunteer.
Among the faces on the wall, the photos of those identified have been marked in red ink with the word “buried,” a solemn reminder of the many lives claimed by the tragedy.
Suhara, a member of the Haritha Karma Sena and a resident of Chooralmala, has been deeply involved in the identification process. “Many of the people brought here were my neighbours or friends, which has made it slightly easier for me to identify them,” Suhara said, her voice heavy with emotion.
By Monday evening, several of these remains were laid to rest. Additional checks of personal items and ornaments will be conducted to help confirm the identities of the deceased.