The Wayanad district in Kerala, renowned for its stunning landscapes, mountains, and waterfalls, has become the epicenter of a natural disaster as heavy monsoon rains triggered multiple landslides, leaving emergency services racing to recover bodies.
In the early hours of Tuesday, torrents of mud and rock descended from the hillsides, burying homes and villages while many residents were asleep. The force of the landslides was so immense that some bodies were discovered more than 50 kilometers away, carried downstream by the river. Rescue teams, battling thick mud, have recovered more bodies than survivors, with many of those killed being tea estate workers whose homes were buried under thousands of tons of debris.
The region has experienced a dramatic shift in monsoon patterns. “If you calculate monthly total rainfall, it will be the same, but it will precipitate in a small number of days,” explained a local expert, highlighting the intensified rainfall over shorter periods.
Long queues have formed outside Wayanad’s auditorium, where families face the grim task of identifying the deceased. Among them is Muhammad Obais, anxiously awaiting news of his granddaughter. Having already lost several family members, Obais shared his heart-wrenching story:
“We called them the previous night, and my daughter told me not to worry. I told her to come to my place. After that, she never called.”
The Indian Army has swiftly constructed a temporary bridge over the fast-flowing Chaliyar River, replacing the one destroyed by the landslides. Despite military support and the efforts of thousands of volunteers, continuous rain is hampering recovery operations. Over 8,000 people have been relocated to temporary shelters, and efforts are now focused on providing psychological support.
“The most important thing is to give psychological support. We’ve decided to offer as much counseling as possible,” stated a local official. However, as the relentless rain continues, hopes of finding more survivors are fading.
This disaster has highlighted the region’s vulnerability to extreme weather events and underscores the urgent need for comprehensive disaster management strategies to protect its residents.