Wayanad death toll rises

Heavy rains have triggered a slew of massive landslides in the Indian state of Kerala, killing 123 and injuring many.

Rainfall, dense fog and a collapsed key bridge over the Iruvazhinji river are hampering relief and rescue operations in the state. Multiple agencies, including the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) the Indian Army and the Indian Air Force have been mobilised for rescue efforts.

Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi along with Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra will visit disaster-hit Wayanad’s relief camps and WIMS hospital in Meppadi on Wednesday to meet the injured and their families. Rahul Gandhi has appealed to the central government to extend its full support to the state.

The hillsides gave way after midnight following torrential rainfall on Monday in the  Wayanad district of Kerala, a state renowned as one of India’s most popular tourist destinations. Tuesday’s catastrophic landslides left local villages littered with broken branches of uprooted trees, destroyed vehicles, overflowing rivers and crushed houses.

Many people, including children, are feared trapped under the debris; villages such as Mundakkai, Chooralmala, Attamala and Noolpuzha were completely cut off by the landslides. Most of the victims were estate workers and their families who were asleep in makeshift tents, when disaster struck.

The Indian Army reported that around 150 people have been rescued from Mudakkayi village, given medical aid and evacuated to safer places. Apart from 225  rescue officers already deployed for the operation, 140 officers are on standby to be airlifted on a short notice. Heavy engineering equipment and rescue dog teams were flown down and disaster relief teams had been dispatched by the Indian Coast Guard to provide aid.

An elderly couple in Wayanad’s landslide-hit area recounted their desperate bid for safety as the disaster struck in the dead of night. The couple, whose house was destroyed in the landslide, fled their home at 11 PM after noticing muddy water flowing through their area.

They sought refuge on a nearby hill, but not before trying to save their neighbour, who, according to them, tragically refused to join them.

“We begged him to come with us, but he said he would join us by 1 am. He never came,” the elderly man said, his voice cracking with emotion.

He added that they were waiting at the hilltop until morning and when they came back, the whole area was washed away. Another woman was seen sobbing in front of the media, saying her relative called her and said they were running from their home carrying their toddler.

“She called me in the night and said they were trying to escape from the region. They had a toddler with them. After that, they were unreachable on the phone,” she said. That family is yet to be traced.

The Meppadi hospital near Mundakkai, overwhelmed with the injured, the deceased, and those searching for missing friends and relatives, presented a heartbreaking scene.

Landslide and mudslide were reported in Maruthongara village and Kaithappoyil-Anorammal road respectively. The Malayangadu bridge was washed away, resulting in as many as 15 families being cut off from the main area, they said.

Those living on the banks of the river here were shifted to relief camps and rescue operations are continuing led by the NDRF team.

“The landslide in Wayanad is a heart-wrenching disaster. There was extremely heavy rainfall. An entire area has been wiped out. We have recovered 93 bodies so far, but the numbers may change. There are 128 people receiving treatment for injuries. Many who went to sleep last night have been swept away,” said Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.

In response to the disaster in Wayanad, the state has declared two days of official mourning.

“Public events and celebrations have been postponed. We request that the national flag be flown at half-mast as part of the mourning period,” said Kerala CM. He urged people to come together to rebuild destroyed lives and livelihoods, like they did in 2018 when floods ravaged the state.

Neighbouring state Tamil Nadu’s Chief Minister MK Stalin has sanctioned Rs 5 crore from the CM General Fund for relief measures in Kerala. Sikkim CM has pledged Rs 2 crore. Expressing grief over the loss of lives in landslides in Kerala’s Wayanad district, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Tuesday said Karnataka is committed to providing all possible help to the neighbouring state.

Australian High Commissioner to India, Philip Green, condoled the lives lost in the landslides that hit the Meppadi area of Kerala’s Wayanad.

Meanwhile, Israeli Ambassador to India, Naor Gilon offered condolences and prayers for the grieving families. Further, he wished the injured people a speedy recovery.

Control Room Phone Numbers 24/7

9497900402

0471 2721566. 

(Agencies; Picture Courtesy: Reuters)