In the early hours of Tuesday, a devastating landslide triggered by unexpected heavy rainfall swept through the tea estates and villages of Kerala, a southern state in India. The disaster claimed the lives of at least 146 people, many of whom were asleep when the hillsides collapsed, unleashing torrents of mud, water, and tumbling boulders. The Wayanad district, a popular tourist destination, was the epicenter of the disaster.
The majority of the victims were tea estate workers and their families, residing in small houses or makeshift shelters. The aftermath of the disaster was captured on television, showing rescue workers navigating through uprooted trees and flattened tin structures, with boulders scattered across the hillsides and muddy water rushing through. The rescue teams were seen crossing streams, carrying stretchers and other equipment to aid the victims.
State authorities reported that in addition to the fatalities, 128 people were injured and dozens remain unaccounted for. However, local Asianet TV reported a higher death toll of 169. This landslide is the worst disaster to hit the state since 2018 when heavy floods claimed the lives of nearly 400 people.
Kerala’s Chief Minister, Pinarayi Vijayan, addressed the media, stating that there were still individuals trapped under the ground and others who had been swept away. He assured that the rescue operation would continue with all possible resources. Over 3,000 people have been evacuated from the area and accommodated in 45 relief camps in the district. Hundreds of personnel, including army soldiers, are using drones and sniffer dogs in the search for survivors.
A survivor named Vijayan recounted his harrowing experience, waking up to the ground shaking and witnessing electric poles falling. He and a few neighbors managed to rescue some of the injured. However, he was unable to save his family members when the next landslide hit.
Army engineers have been deployed to construct a replacement bridge after the original one, which connected the affected area to the nearest town of Chooralmala, was destroyed. A military helicopter managed to land in Mundakkai, one of the worst-hit areas, to aid about 250 people stranded on a hilltop and at a tourist resort without sufficient food and medicine.
Despite being a popular tourist destination, the local residents were the most affected as all tourist activities had been suspended since Monday due to the rain. The Chief Minister noted that the evacuation of many people from the area before the landslides due to the heavy rain had helped reduce the toll.
The region was forecast to receive eight inches of rainfall but ended up getting 22.5 inches over a period of 48 hours. The Chief Minister attributed this unpredictability to climate change and urged people to take precautions as more rains were forecast across the state for the next five days.
Opposition leader Rahul Gandhi expressed his heartbreak over the devastation in Wayanad and assured that he had spoken to the state chief minister to ensure coordination with all agencies.