Perhaps no one has seen such destruction caused by nature due to landslides after heavy rains in Wayanad. The pictures of the devastation taken by drones are enough to tell the scene of devastation. Floods are visible everywhere. The number of people killed in the landslide is increasing continuously. The debris is still spewing dead bodies of people. Many people are still buried under the debris. The Army, Air Force and Navy are all engaged in relief and rescue work.
The whole country is saddened by the destruction caused by nature in Wayanad district of Kerala. The number of people killed in the horrific accident caused by landslides after the rains is increasing continuously. So far 143 deaths have been confirmed. At the same time, more than 90 people are reported to be missing, while a large number of people have been rescued from the debris by NDRF, Army, Navy and Air Force personnel. 128 people are reported to be injured. The weather is still bad in Wayanad. There is a red alert due to heavy rains. Therefore, the rescue team is facing a lot of difficulties. The Kerala government has declared two days of mourning after the tragedy.
The affected families are searching for their loved ones buried in the debris. The help of drones and dog squads is also being taken. According to the Chief Minister, the place (Mundakkai) where this landslide occurred falls in a high-risk disaster area and people do not live there. From there, soil, stones and rocks rolled down to Choorlamala, which is 6 kilometers away from the place where the landslide started. This is not a sensitive place and many people have been living here for years. In view of this, there has been a huge loss of life here.
Perhaps no one has seen such a devastation of nature due to landslides after heavy rains in Wayanad. The pictures of the devastation taken from the drone are enough to tell the scene of destruction. Floods are seen everywhere. The number of people killed in the landslide is constantly increasing. The debris is still spewing out dead bodies of people. Many people are still buried under the debris. More than 116 people are reported to be seriously injured in the accident. The Army, Air Force and Navy are all engaged in relief and rescue work. The situation is so bad that the rescue team is facing great difficulty in removing the bodies of the people.
More than 200 army personnel are also engaged in rescue
The devastation caused by nature in Wayanad can be estimated from the fact that 10 bodies have been recovered from Pothukallu area of ​​​​Mallapurram, about 50 km from where the landslide occurred, which had come floating in the Chaliyar river. According to the rescue team, more people may still be buried under the debris. About 250 personnel of Civil Defense, Police, Fire Department, SDRF, NDRF are engaged in relief and rescue. At the same time, about 225 soldiers of the Army’s 122 Infantry are engaged in rescue operations. The Indian Air Force has sent 2 helicopters from Sulur Airbase in Coimbatore, which are continuously removing people from the debris.
Relief and rescue operations started on time in Choorlamala area of ​​Wayanad, but it was very difficult for the rescue team to reach Mundakai area. Because, most of the roads leading there were destroyed. The government says that first the rescue should be completed, then work will be done on relief and then rehabilitation.
4 villages washed away due to landslides
4 villages were washed away due to landslides and floods. Many settlements were buried under debris due to landslides after heavy rains in areas like Meppadi, Mundakkai, Choorlamala, Attamala, Noolpuzha of the district. The situation is so difficult that army personnel have to be deployed for relief and rescue. It is difficult to believe that where there was greenery till yesterday, there is only debris. Now there is only a scene of devastation all around. There are debris of houses buried with the land sliding after the rain.
Local people say that this period of heavenly havoc came twice in Wayanad. Once there was a landslide in the Chooralmala area at 2 o’clock in the night, in which many houses, vehicles, shops were destroyed. After that, the havoc of landslide broke out once again at around 4.10 in the morning. The Chooralmala area has suffered the most destruction in this tragedy, which took place about 20 km from Kalpetta city of Wayanad.
CM appeals to people for help
Meanwhile, on Tuesday, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan appealed to the people to unite to rebuild the destroyed lives and livelihoods, as they did in 2018 when floods devastated the state. CM Vijayan said that many people are offering help, but more help is needed to rebuild the affected areas and lives, and he urged everyone to contribute to the Chief Minister’s Disaster Relief Fund.
Vijayan said that the initial landslide occurred at 2 am and the next one at 4.10 am, so the destruction was caused in Mundakai, Choorlamala and Attamala areas of Wayanad. All the people were sleeping during this time. As a result, many people were swept away or trapped in the debris, leading to a large number of deaths and dozens are still missing. 34 bodies have been identified and 18 of them have been handed over to their families. The Chief Minister also informed that 16 bodies have been recovered from the Chaliyar river in Pothukal village of neighbouring Malappuram district. Apart from this, search and rescue teams have also recovered body parts of the people who were swept away.
He said several places in the hill district, including Mundakai and Choorlamala, were cut off from the rest of the area due to landslides that washed away roads in the area. “The Vellaramala GVH school located there has been completely buried under the ground. A river flowing through the area has now split into two. There has been huge loss to homes and livelihoods. Efforts are on to find people trapped under the debris or those swept away,” he added. 45 camps set up in the district
The CM said, “As soon as we got information about the accident, we coordinated the rescue operations. Five ministers of the state went to Wayanad to coordinate and lead the search and rescue activities. Rescue operations are underway with necessary equipment under the direct supervision of the ministers. Fire forces, NDRF, police etc. are working together. Help from military units has also been provided on an immediate basis. Various units of the Army and Navy are also involved in the rescue operation. Efforts are being made to save maximum lives, provide better treatment to the injured and evacuate others to safer places. 45 camps have been set up in the district and about 3,069 people have been rehabilitated there.”
Tamil Nadu provided help of Rs 5 crore
CM Vijayan said many people are offering help, but more is needed to rebuild the affected areas and lives and urged everyone to contribute to the Chief Minister’s Disaster Relief Fund. He said that Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin has offered assistance of Rs 5 crore to Kerala, while Cochin International Airport Limited (CIAL) has offered Rs 2 crore. The CM has announced that the state will observe two days of official mourning over the tragic loss of life and property in the Wayanad landslide. During this time public programs and ceremonies will not be organized and the national flag will fly at half-mast.
The issue of Wayanad landslide also echoed in Parliament
The opposition has demanded to declare the havoc of nature in Wayanad as a national disaster. PM Modi has expressed grief over the accident and assured all possible help to Kerala. Home Minister Amit Shah spoke to Kerala CM P Vijayan over the phone and took stock of the situation. Rahul Gandhi said that a roadmap should be prepared for the rehabilitation of the victims. At the same time, Rahul Gandhi, who was an MP from Wayanad, will meet the victims of the accident on Wednesday. There is a red alert for heavy rains in many districts of Kerala. Red alert is also in force in Kozhikode, Malappuram, Wayanad, Kasaragod. The central government will provide financial assistance of Rs 2 lakh each to the families of the deceased. The injured will be given financial assistance of Rs 50,000 each. The Army, Navy and Air Force are engaged in rescue operations in Wayanad.
