Wayanad landslides: Death toll rises to 123, a town swept away, hundreds feared trapped, rescue operations to resume at dawn
WAYANAD: Massive landslides wreaked havoc in the Wayanad district of Kerala, leaving at least 123 people, including children, dead and several families missing, according to the last update from government sources.
The landslides occurred during the early hours of Tuesday washing away houses and families. It left a trail of destruction, with several houses destroyed, water bodies swollen, and trees uprooted, hampering rescue operations.
Mundakkai, Chooralmala, Attamala, and Noolpuzha villages were the areas hit and cut off by the landslides, authorities said. According to reports, the Mundakkai town was completely swept away by the landslide.
Swollen water bodies changed their course and flowed through inhabited areas, resulting in more destruction. Huge boulders rolled down the hills and hindered the path of rescue workers.
According to media reports, at least 17 bodies swept away by the gushing water were recovered, several kilometres away, from the Chaliyar River in Malappuram.
The bodies of the deceased are being taken to various hospital morgues for identification and autopsy. According to Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, as many as 34 bodies have been identified and 18 bodies have been handed over to the families. DNA tests are being done to identify the unidentifiable bodies.
The Army rescued about 1,000 people using a temporary bridge after torrential rains washed away the permanent structure Col. Paramvir Singh Nagra, Commandant of DSC Centre, advised pausing rescue efforts as darkness fell. The Army had been on alert for 15 days and was mobilized by the Kerala government following the devastating landslides.
“This is a major calamity,” said Col. Nagra, noting the involvement of NDRF, Navy, and Air Force. Sniffer dogs and bridge equipment are en route to assist further operations. The temporary bridge has enabled the rescue of over 1,000 people, but it is unsafe for nighttime use.
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“We plan to resume efforts in daylight,” Col. Nagra stated.
Several survivors were also airlifted by the Indian Air Force.
Several injured people trapped in Mundakkai have been rescued, Kerala CM told media persons.
As many as 45 relief camps have opened in the district and 3069 people have been moved to the camps. 118 relief camps have been set up across the state with 5531 people, Vijayan said.
In the wake of the disaster, the state government has announced two days official mourning on July 30 and 31. There will be no official functions and celebrations on these days.
Local television channels aired heart-wrenching phone conversations of several people crying and pleading to be rescued, as they were either trapped in their houses or had no way to travel due to washed-away bridges and flooded roads, PTI reported.
In one such conversation, a woman, apparently a native of Chooralmala town, was heard crying aloud, saying someone in her house was trapped under marsh and debris and they could not pull her out.
“Someone, please come and help us. We have lost our house. We don’t know whether Nausheen (apparently a family member) is alive. She is trapped in the marsh. Her mouth is full of marsh and sand. Our house is in the town itself,” the woman said.
Besides NDRF, the state government also deployed disaster response teams from the police and the fire force in the affected areas.
Along with government agencies, volunteers and local residents are cooperating in the rescue operation, Meghasree said in a statement.
The Collector also informed that the shutter of Banasura Sagar dam, on the Karamanthodu river, was opened and warned those living downstream and in low-lying areas to be cautious.
Kerala CM said that all government agencies have joined the search and rescue operations.
IG North and DIG Kannur will reach Wayanad to coordinate the rescue operations. Law and order ADGP has been asked to lead the rescue work. Two battalions of the Kerala Armed Police and Malabar Special Police were sent to the spot for rescue work.
The Health Department — National Health Mission — has opened a control room, he added.
Those in need of emergency assistance can contact authorities through these two numbers — 9656938689 and 8086010833 — the statement said.
“Currently, we have no complete information about those missing and dead in the landslides. Many areas have been cut off. NDRF personnel are trying to reach those places,” he said.
The Kerala government had sought the assistance of the Indian Army for rescue operations. A Defence PRO said on Tuesday that 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.
Their deployment aims to augment existing rescue operations and provide relief to those affected by the landslides.
Heavy engineering equipment and rescue dog teams are being airlifted and disaster relief teams have been dispatched by the Indian Coast Guard
A one-year-old child of a family from Nepal died in Thondernad village, according to the Wayanad district authorities.
Besides that, three bodies, including that of a five-year-old, were recovered from the banks of a river near Pothukal village, authorities said.
Meanwhile, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin expressed condolences and extended support for rescue operations. He announced a financial support of Rs 5 crores for rescue operations and rehabilitation.
“We are sending two teams led by IAS officers. In addition to this, we are also sending a medical team including doctors and nurses and a fire and rescue team,” Stalin informed through his X handle
He also informed that he spoke to Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan over phone and extended his support for the rescue operations.
Karanataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah also extended support for the rescue operations.
“It was heartbreaking to hear the news that more than 70 people have died in the landslide accident in Kerala and many have gone missing. We are going to stand with the people of neighboring Kerala in such a difficult time. Our government will provide all necessary assistance to Kerala,” he wrote in a post on X.
The Kerala State Disaster Management Authority (KSDMA) has said that Fireforce and NDRF teams have been deployed to the affected area, with an additional NDRF team en route to Wayanad.
Two teams of Kannur Defence Security Corps have also been instructed to move to Wayanad to assist in the rescue efforts, according to a Facebook post by the KSDMA.
According to district authorities, several families have been moved to the various camps or homes of their relatives in the wake of the landslides.
Locals from the affected areas report that many people are feared to be trapped. Rescue operations are being hindered by ongoing heavy rainfall.
State police opened a control room at police headquarters in the state capital. Public can get in touch with the 24 hour special control room, operating directly under the State Police Chief. The control room can be contacted at 9497900402, 0471 2721566.
The health department has opened a control room along with National Rural Health Mission. The control room can be reached at 9656938689, 8086010833.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Opposition leader Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday expressed anguish over the loss of lives in landslides in Kerala’s Wayanad district and assured Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan of all possible help from the Centre to deal with the crisis.
The PM also announced financial support of Rs. 2 lakh from PMNRF to the next of kin of the deceased and Rs 50,000 for the injured.
A senior climate scientist has linked the warming of the Arabian Sea to the formation of deep cloud systems, leading to heavy rainfall and increased landslides in Kerala. S Abhilash of Cochin University highlighted that districts like Kasargod, Kannur, Wayanad, Calicut, and Malappuram have faced intense rainfall due to an active monsoon offshore trough. A mesoscale cloud system formed off the Arabian Sea coast on Monday, causing localised landslides similar to the 2019 Kerala floods.
Abhilash’s research indicates that the southeast Arabian Sea’s warming is causing atmospheric instability, resulting in deep cloud formations linked to climate change. Studies have shown an increase in convective rainfall along India’s west coast, with the rain-bearing belt shifting southward, raising landslide risks in the Western Ghats.
The India Meteorological Department reported significant rainfall in various districts, with forecasts of more heavy rain in the coming days.
Kerala has been grappling with frequent natural disasters, the most notable being the devastating August 2018 floods, termed as the state’s ‘flood of the century,’ which claimed 483 lives and led to extensive property and livelihood losses. The Centre declared it a “calamity of severe nature,” with over 14.50 lakh people from 3.91 lakh families rehabilitated in relief camps and 57,000 hectares of agricultural crops destroyed. The losses were estimated to be higher than the state’s annual budget outlay.
Visuals of the Indian Air Force airlifting pregnant women in 2018 remain vivid in Keralites’ memories, reflecting the tireless efforts of the Indian Army, Coast Guard, Navy, and other agencies in rescuing flood-affected victims. The 2018 floods underscored the need for environment-friendly construction in rebuilding efforts.
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Kerala’s battle with natural calamities continued with a 2019 landslide in Puthumala, Wayanad, killing 17 people, followed by incessant rains in October 2021 that led to landslides in Idukki and Kottayam, claiming 35 lives. In 2021 alone, 53 people died due to heavy rainfall and flood-related incidents.
August 2022 saw further devastation with landslides and flash floods triggered by heavy rains, killing 18 people, damaging hundreds of properties, and displacing thousands to relief camps. Over 5,000 people were relocated to 178 relief camps from disaster-hit and disaster-prone areas.
Kerala has recorded the highest number of landslides in the country, with 2,239 out of 3,782 landslides occurring between 2015 and 2022, according to the Ministry of Earth Sciences.
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