Kochi, India. A series of landslides triggered by intense rainfall has resulted in the death of at least 106 people in Kerala, southern India. The calamity struck during the night, collapsing hillsides and causing torrents of mud and debris to bury homes and tea estates.
The landslides, which occurred after midnight on Tuesday, devastated the Wayanad district, a popular tourist area in Kerala. Many of the victims were tea estate workers and their families, residing in small houses or makeshift shelters.
Television footage depicted a chaotic rescue operation, with workers navigating through uprooted trees, debris-strewn hillsides, and rushing water. “There are still people who are trapped under the ground and those who have been swept away,” Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said. He assured that “the rescue operation will continue with all possible strength and means.”
As of Tuesday, at least 128 people were injured and dozens remained unaccounted for. Local sources, including Asianet TV, reported a higher death toll of 119. The recent landslides represent the worst disaster in Kerala since the devastating floods of 2018, which claimed nearly 400 lives.
Chief Minister Vijayan reported that over 3,000 people had been evacuated and relocated to 45 relief camps. The rescue efforts involved hundreds of personnel, including army soldiers, using drones and sniffer dogs to search for survivors.
A survivor, identified only as Vijayan, recounted his harrowing experience: “I woke up in the middle of the night to feel the ground shake and see electric poles fall. A couple of neighbors and I ran to nearby houses where we heard cries for help and took some of the injured to safety.” Tragically, he described losing his family members to the landslide: “I clung to a window bar as I saw my mother and sister disappear under the mud; I couldn’t do anything.”
In response to the destruction, army engineers have been deployed to reconstruct a bridge that linked the affected area to Chooralmala. Chief Secretary V. Venu reported, “A small team has managed to cross the bridge across the river and reach the site, but we will need to send many more to provide help and start rescue operations.”
A military helicopter has also been dispatched to Mundakkai, one of the hardest-hit areas, where approximately 250 people were stranded on a hilltop and at a tourist resort without adequate supplies. This intervention is expected to accelerate rescue efforts.
Chief Minister Vijayan highlighted the impact of climate change, noting that the region received 572 millimeters (22.5 inches) of rain instead of the forecasted 204 millimeters (8 inches) over 48 hours. “Rainfall and other natural disasters are sometimes unpredictable,” he warned.
With additional rainfall expected over the next five days, Vijayan urged residents to take necessary precautions. Opposition leader Rahul Gandhi, who recently won a seat in Wayanad, expressed his condolences and called for comprehensive support from the union government: “The devastation unfolding in Wayanad is heartbreaking. I have urged the union government to extend all possible support.”
The tragic events underscore the urgent need for effective disaster preparedness and response strategies in the face of increasingly unpredictable weather patterns.
Gary P Hernal started college at UP Diliman and received his BA in Economics from San Sebastian College, Manila, and Masters in Information Systems Management from Keller Graduate School of Management of DeVry University in Oak Brook, IL. He has 25 years of copy editing and management experience at Thomson West, a subsidiary of Thomson Reuters.
