Not too far from the serene Edakkal Caves and the majestic Soochipara Falls in Kerala, where tourists flock to seek peace and tranquillity and embrace pristine nature, a disaster struck in the early hours of Tuesday. The idyllic landscape of Kerala’s Wayanad turned into chaos and despair. At least 280 people lost their lives. over 200 still missing, and several people were reportedly missing after massive landslides struck the hilly areas near Meppadi in Kerala’s Wayanad district on Tuesday morning. The Kerala State Disaster Management Authority (KSDMA) has mobilized Fireforce and National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams to the affected area where hundreds are suspected to be trapped. An additional NDRF team along with two teams from the Kannur Defence Security Corps and Army has taken over the rescue operations.
Heavy rainfall has hindered rescue efforts. Many people were feared washed away in the Chaliyar River flowing to the Nilambur region in Malappuram, officials have said. Meanwhile, several houses, shops and vehicles are buried under the debris in Mundakkai. A bridge to the spot has been washed away, further complicating rescue efforts.
Among the affected areas are Mundakkai, Chooralmala, Attamala and Noolpuzha, authorities have said. Many roads have collapsed and a bridge has been swept away and several areas have become unreachable.
In 2018, devastating floods in Kerala killed over 400 people across the state. In 2021, dozens perished due to multiple landslides and floods in Kerala’s Kottayam and Idukki districts. Additionally, rain-related incidents such as landslides and flash floods claimed many lives in 2022.
A lot of construction activities are happening in our state [Kerala] in vulnerable areas. We built more roads and culverts. However, even now, our engineering structures are being built based on the amount of rainfall and intensity of rainfall in older days. There is a need to rethink new or added risk factors while constructing roads or culverts. We are not providing room for the river in many places and this is an important factor for flash floods. Our unscientific construction mechanisms are major causes of the destruction we are facing,” Dr S Sreekumar, a Kerala-based disaster risk expert, told
A holiday has also been declared in 11 districts – Kasaragod, Kannur, Kozhikode, Wayanad, Malappuram, Palakkad, Thrissur, Idukki, Ernakulam, Alappuzha and Pathanamthitta.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued an ‘orange’ alert in Wayanad and neighbouring districts, predicting heavy to very heavy on August 1.
Congress leader and former Wayanad MP Rahul Gandhi, along with his sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, are expected to visit the relief camps in the affected areas, as per a statement from the party.
