Desperate attempts at survival in landslide-hit Wayanad

A man, covered in mud, was seen desperately trying to stand by clinging to a huge boulder in gushing flood water, in one of the harrowing scenes from a landslide-hit hamlet in Kerala’s Wayanad district on Tuesday.

The man, suspected to have been swept away by the flood water, somehow got stuck between huge boulders but was unable to stand or swim to safety due to the thick marsh and strong currents.

The harrowing visuals of the hapless man’s attempt to survive amidst scattered boulders in the floodwater came from Mundakkai village, where hundreds of people were reportedly trapped following the deadly landslides in the early hours of Tuesday triggered by heavy rainfall.

The visuals, taken by one of the villagers, were aired by television channels, urging authorities to send rescue teams to the location.

“He is trapped in the area near the local school in Mundakkai. He caught our attention for the first time by 7.30 am. He is still continuing his attempt not to get carried away by the flood waters and trying to stand in the thick marsh,” Raghavan, a block panchayat member who took the visuals on his mobile phone, said.

Villagers said though they were seeing the man’s survival attempts, they could not reach the place or rescue him due to strong currents and marsh.

As the rescue mission continues in various hamlets, people could be seen hugging each other tight so as to not getting carried away in flood waters in many places.

People, especially elderly men and women, could also be seen being rescued by placing temporary metal bridges in areas cut off due to massive landslides.