Two humongous landslides that struck Mundakkai settlement in Wayanad district in Kerala’s northern region in the wee hours of Tuesday claimed 123 lives and destroyed hundreds of houses. Rescue workers said the death toll could be more than what had been found by 6 pm on Tuesday. Torrential rain has been battering the State since Sunday morning, disrupting the normal life.
This was officially confirmed by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Tuesday evening during the media briefing. He said the death toll could increase as many bodies are buried under the earth and efforts are on to retrieve the bodies despite incessant rain and poor visibility.
“Two landslides struck Mundakkai at 2 am and 4 am respectively. The entire population was asleep and there was no possibility of them knowing the impending disaster. This is one of the biggest natural disasters seen by the State,” said the Chief Minister.
Vijayan said Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah had called him and offered all possible help. “But that would not be sufficient as the State alone cannot undertake the rescue and rehabilitation works on its own,” lamented Vijayan.
Wayanad district has been categorised as one of the most ecologically sensitive zones in the country by the Madhav Gadgil Committee appointed by the Union Government to study the ground reality of the ecology of the district. The committee found that deforestation, uncontrolled quarrying and mining in the district have played havoc with the environment, contributing to the frequent landslides.
Within hours of the landslides, the Central Government deployed National Disaster Response Force of the Indian Army, Indian Navy and Coast Guard to save the people who were trapped by the flood waters, soil and rocks.
In addition to the residents of Mundakkai atop the high ranges, many holiday makers staying in the hundreds of high-end resorts in the region too have been trapped in the landslides.
Indian Air Force have deployed two choppers from its Sulur base for the rescue mission.
According to the Defence PRO, a team of 43 personnel, led by the Second-in-Command from the 122 Infantry Battalion (TA) MADRAS, has been mobilised to aid in the ongoing rescue efforts.
The team, comprising a Medical Officer, two Junior Commissioned Officers (JCOs), and 40 soldiers, is equipped to provide critical assistance in the affected area. Besides that, the Army’s engineering group has reached Wayanad for rescue operations in the landslide-hit areas, the district administration said.
Most of the persons who were drowned or got killed in the landslides were labourers and workers staying in the Laayams of tea and coffee plantations in the district.
According to environmentalists, Tuesday’s disaster is yet another proof that the State administration has not learnt anything from past mistakes.
Wayanad has no representative in Parliament as Rahul Gandhi, the Leader of Opposition who was elected from the constituency, gave it up immediately after the 2024 Lok Sabha poll to retain Rae Bareli.
Besides the dead bodies, the rescue teams came across mutilated parts of human bodies which were crushed by huge rocks and stones spewed with force by the landslides.
At the time of going to the Press, only less than half of the dead bodies have been identified.
Hospitals in the district and Kozhikode wore pictures of heart-rending scenes as the survivors scanned the dead bodies in search of their dear and near ones who disappeared in the mishap. Chief Minister Vijayan has sought the assistance of the global comity of nations for financial aid.
