Kerala Landslide / 3 landslides in Wayanad in 4 hours, 119 deaths- 2 days of state mourning in Kerala

Kerala Landslide: Due to heavy rains in Wayanad, Kerala, landslides occurred at 4 different places late on Monday night. 4 villages were washed away in the landslide that occurred between 2 am and 6 am. Houses, bridges, roads and vehicles were also washed away in Mundakkai, Choorlammala, Attamala and Noolpuzha. So far 119 people have died. 116 are in the hospital, while more than 98 people are reported missing. Army, Air Force, SDRF and NDRF teams are present on the spot for rescue.

225 army personnel have been sent from Kannur to Wayanad. 2 Air Force helicopters were also sent for rescue, but due to rain they had to return to Kozhikode. Trained dogs of the Army's Special Dog Unit, which include breeds like Belgian Malinois, Labrador and German Shepherd, have been sent to the landslide-affected Meppadi in Wayanad. Meanwhile, the Kerala government has announced two days of state mourning in the state after this accident.

5 years ago, 17 people died due to landslide in the same area

Landslides have occurred in 4 villages of Wayanad - Mundakkai, Choorlamala, Attamala and Noolpuzha. 5 years ago in 2019 also, due to heavy rains, landslides occurred in these villages, in which 17 people died. 5 people are still missing. 52 houses were destroyed.

Mundakkai village suffered the most damage, 250 people trapped here

Mundakkai village of Wayanad has been most affected due to the landslide. The bridge connecting Choorlamala to Mundakkai has been washed away, making it difficult to reach the area.

A 20-member NDRF team is trying to reach here on foot. About 250 people are reported to be stranded in Mundakkai. Many houses have been washed away here. 65 families lived here. 35 employees of a nearby tea estate are also missing.

Two foreign nationals rescued from Choorlamala village

District Panchayat President Samshad Maraikkar said that Mundakkai cannot be reached by road. Mobile network is also down. There is a lot of damage in Choorlamala village as well. Rescue is going on here. Many houses have been washed away here. Many people have been rescued, including two foreign nationals. They were staying in a homestay. Here the rescue team is checking each house.

Heavy rain expected in Wayanad today

The Meteorological Department has issued a red alert in Kozhikode, Mallapuram and Kasargod apart from Wayanad today. That is, there is a possibility of heavy rain here even today. Due to this, there may be problems in the rescue operation.

Wayanad accident updates..

After the Wayanad landslide, the Health Department has set up a control room. Also, two helpline numbers 8086010833 and 9656938689 have been issued for emergency health service. According to Kerala Health Minister Veena George, Vaithiri, Kalpatta, Meppadi and Mananthavady hospitals are on alert.

Tourists have been banned from visiting all tourist places in Kozhikode district. Apart from this, all granite mines have been asked to be closed temporarily.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has expressed grief over the death of people killed in the landslide in Wayanad. He assured the Kerala government of all possible help from the Center. Also, a compensation of Rs 2 lakh each was announced for the families of the deceased. The injured will be given Rs 50,000.

Lok Sabha opposition leader Rahul Gandhi has appealed to the government to provide all possible help in the Wayanad incident. He will visit Wayanad tomorrow.

Kerala Health Minister's Office has said that a temporary hospital has been set up in a mosque and madrasa to treat the injured in Churlamala, Wayanad.

Victims' ordeal:

Woman said crying, Nausheen got stuck in the swamp: A woman from Churlamala village said, 'Someone in the house is stuck in the debris and could not be taken out. Please someone come and help us. We have lost our house. We do not know whether Nausheen is alive or not. She is stuck in the swamp. Our house is in the city itself.'

Victim said - My house is still shaking: Another resident of Churlamala village told on the phone, 'Their house is still shaking. The earth is shaking. Another person told on the phone that a large number of people are trapped in the debris in Mundakkai and are struggling to stay alive. Please save us.'

We were sleeping in the house, the door of the house broke and everything was destroyed: An injured elderly man told a television channel, 'His wife is missing and he does not know where she is.' He told that we were sleeping in the house. Suddenly a loud sound was heard and we saw big stones and trees falling on the roof of our house. Flood water entered the house, due to which the door of the house broke.

What is the reason for the landslide in Wayanad

Wayanad is in the North-East of Kerala. It is the only plateau area of ​​​​Kerala. That is, an area with high and low mounds of soil, stones and trees growing on it. According to the 2021 report of the Geological Survey of India, 43% of Kerala's area is affected by landslides. 51% of the land in Wayanad is hilly slopes. That means the possibility of landslides remains very high.

The Wayanad plateau is at an altitude of 700 to 2100 meters in the Western Ghats. The Arabian Sea branch of the monsoon hits the Western Ghats of the country and rises up, so this area receives a lot of rain during the monsoon season.

Wayanad has the Kabini river. Its tributary Mananthavady originates from the 'Thondaramudi' peak. Flooding in this river due to landslides has caused heavy damage.