Survivors recount the horror of India’s landslides, which resulted in 201 deaths, sharing their tragic experiences.
Deva Das was rudely awakened by the sound of rushing water and boulders crashing against his door. Without wasting a moment, he quickly gathered his parents and children before fleeing to higher ground.
Trudging through slush and muck, the family ascended a hill before enduring nearly four hours of torrential rain. As dawn broke on Tuesday, rescuers located them and guided them to safety.
Upon returning to his village in Kerala state, southern India, the 40-year-old agricultural worker found devastation. Mud and debris had engulfed houses while trees were uprooted and roads washed away. Frantic families searched for their missing loved ones amidst the destruction.
Das described the village as once being a source of happiness, but now everything has been lost. He is currently residing at a relief center designated for displaced individuals.
Since Tuesday, multiple landslides in the hills of Wayanad district have claimed at least 201 lives and caused significant devastation. As torrents of mud, floodwater and massive boulders cascaded down to downhill villages, people were buried or swept away several miles downstream. The aftermath also saw hundreds of houses flattened and roads as well as bridges destroyed – a stark reminder of the catastrophic impact left behind by this disaster.
The disaster site is depicted in pictures that reveal deep wounds carved into the verdant slope, caused by cascading mudslides. Despite being knee-deep in sludge, rescue personnel diligently searched for those who had vanished without a trace. Approximately 40 casualties were discovered roughly 30 kilometers (20 miles) away from where the primary landslides took place when they were carried downstream along the Chaliyar River; some unfortunate individuals could only be identified based on their dismembered remains.
Vehicles were able to reach the hardest-hit areas only on Thursday evening since Indian army engineers had built a bridge that allowed heavy-duty lifting equipment access some of the villages.
As per P. M. Manoj, who speaks on behalf of Kerala’s top elected official, rescue workers are actively seeking and identifying corpses as the number of missing persons approaches 200; therefore, it is anticipated that the death count will increase further. Over 5,500 individuals residing in hillside villages have been rescued so far and transported to relief centers for assistance.
The charming district of Wayanad, highly sought-after by travelers, boasts captivating hills adorned with sprawling tea plantations and fragrant cardamom estates. Moreover, it forms a vital section of the ecologically significant Western Ghats mountain range that stretches adjacent to India’s west coast.
The area is susceptible to intense precipitation, inundation, and landslips. A calamitous deluge in 2018 caused immense devastation and resulted in the loss of almost five hundred lives within the state. Following this catastrophe, an amplified augmentation of buildings has intensified the susceptibility to floods and landslides even further.
The majority of those affected by the catastrophe that occurred on Tuesday were laborers from other regions who were employed in cultivating tea and cardamom plantations. These workers resided in a series of settlements, with some situated atop or close to the verdant slopes. Meanwhile, additional communities grouped together at the base of these hills, even though certain ones had been engulfed by mudslides.
The landslides were preceded by a few days of rainfall, which increased the likelihood of them occurring. According to some survivors, they were aware that such intense rains could result in calamity.
According to Rakeeba, a worker at the tea estate, the villagers were filled with apprehension and cautioned to remain vigilant.
As the clock struck midnight on Tuesday, a landslide ravaged her village while the 45-year-old woman was fast asleep. Awakening to find water within her home, she surveyed her surroundings in disbelief.
Fearful, Rakeeba sprinted uphill and witnessed fragments of the hilltop near a village collapsing as floodwaters and mud engulfed everything in their course.
“I am unsure of our destination. The ones who occupied the place are no longer present,” she said while restraining her emotions.
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