KALPETTA: In possibly the worst natural calamity that has ever hit Kerala, two massive landslides within a span of two-and-a-half hours devoured Chooralmala and Mundakkai in Wayanad district, leaving around 125 dead and nearly 90 missing in the wee hours of Tuesday. As many as 481 people have been rescued. Of them, 113 persons are under treatment. So far, 48 bodies have been identified.
The torrent was so strong that several bodies were recovered from Pothukal in Malappuram, around 10kms away from the epicentre of the incident.
Most of the victims were washed away in sleep as the landslides occurred at 1.30am and 4am. Huge boulders and uprooted trees gushed downwards to Chooralmala from Mundakkai, causing severe damage. The heavy surge of water from the hilltop changed the nature of the tiny Iruvazhinji river, submerging everything on its banks. Several houses were destroyed, a temple and a mosque were submerged, and a school building severely damaged.
Heavy rain and the presence of mud, huge pieces of rocks and trees made rescue operations difficult. Scores of earthmovers were brought in to remove the mud and rocks. Bodies were taken out of the mud with great difficulty. Around 250 people were stranded at Mundakkai as the bridge that connected the area was washed away.
Rescue workers tried to reach them using a ropeway but the exercise was time-consuming. The possibility of another landslide also slowed down rescue operations. They were finally rescued on Tuesday evening after the Army constructed a make-shift bridge across the river.
Personnel from 122 Infantry Battalion of Territorial Army of the Madras Regiment, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) from different parts of Kerala, Air Force from Coimbatore and fire and rescue services and police took part in the rescue operations that were temporarily halted in the night due to bad weather.
Four relief camps have been opened to shift the survivors. The injured have been admitted to various hospitals in Wayanad. Bodies of the victims are kept at the Community Health Centre in Meppadi and WIMS Hospital. A special team of forensic doctors from Kozhikode has reached Wayanad to expedite the post-mortem of recovered bodies. DNA tests will be conducted on unidentified bodies. A police officer said 32 bodies and several body parts were recovered from the banks of the Chaliyar in Malappuram.
Two Odisha-natives are among those missing. They are identified as Dr Swadheen Panda and Dr Bishnu Chinhara, Delhi-based doctors who were staying in Mundakkai at the time the tragedy.
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said more personnel from the NDRF and Air Force team will join the rescue operations. All possible efforts will be taken to rescue the stranded people and to recover bodies from the debris, he told reporters in Thiruvananthapuram. Five state ministers are overseeing the rescue operations and North Zone IG and DIG of the state police are camping in Wayanad.
A control room has been opened at the state police headquarters. Information received at the control room is passed on to the rescue teams in the respective area. Besides the local police, personnel from the Kerala Armed Police Battalions, Rapid Response and Rescue Force, and Special Operation Group are deployed in Wayanad, he said.
CM urges support from people
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan urged all to make donations to the Chief Minister’s Distress Relief Fund to support the people affected by the disaster. The Kerala Bank already donated Rs 50 lakh.
The CIAL has promised Rs 2 crore and Tamil Nadu Government `5 crore. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, Union Home Minister Amith Shah, Tamil Nadu CM M K Stalin and West Bengal Governor C V Ananda Bose rang up the CM personally and promised all help.
WHAT HAPPENED
Wayanad district has been experiencing torrential rain for the past three days, with rivers in spate and low-lying areas inundated.
Around 1.30am on Tuesday, a massive landslide occurs near Mundakkai in Meppadi grama panchayat. Gushing waters and debris sweep away almost the entire village.
Another landslide strikes around 4am (trigger spot yet to be ascertained). River Iruvazhinji gets diverted, resulting in flash floods washing away Chooralmala village, which is 3km away from Mundakkai. Bridge connecting Chooralmala with Mundakkai and Attamala destroyed, stranding hundreds.
Muddy water and debris flow through Soochippara and merge with River Chaliyar located on the border of neighbouring Malappuram district. Around 32 bodies were recovered from the Chaliyar in Pothukal and Chungathara panchayats in Malappuram.
The Meppadi region received a rainfall of 572mm in the 48 hours preceding the landslide.