Wayanad landslides | Why rescue teams are unable to reach ground zero

12:30 pm, July 30, 2024

It's been nearly 12 hours since the initial landslide occurred in Mundakkai, Wayanad district, leaving hundreds of people stranded.

It was only a team of the NDRF that could reach there by a rope and start evacuating seriously injured people. The rescue teams were unable to reach the area because the only bridge over the Chooralmala river has been swept away.

Entire town buried

According to survivors’ accounts over the phone, the entire Mundakkai has been buried under debris, rocks, and mud. Two hours later, a second massive landslide struck Chooralmala, causing widespread destruction and resulting in at least 47 deaths so far. More than 10 bodies were recovered, kilometres downstream in the Chaliyar river, near Pothukallu in Malappuram district.

At the time of publishing this report, we are unable to determine the possible loss of lives in Mundakkai. Rescue teams, including the NDRF and military, are making strenuous efforts to reach the affected area.

Injured await treatment

The Tree Valley resort in Sentinel Rock Estate, Mundakkai, Meppadi, has almost 70- 100 people who sought refuge.

“We are providing them shelter. There are women and children, many of whom are injured. We have a limited stock of essential medicines like paracetamol and antiseptic powder, and we are doing our best to provide whatever treatment we can. However, some people are seriously injured with broken bones and dislocated shoulders. We don't know what to do with them,” said Yunus, an employee of the resort, over the phone.

“As we can see from here, the small town of Mundakkai has been completely obliterated. The local masjid has been entirely washed away, and the imam along with others who lived there are unaccounted for,” said Yunus.

Taking resort atop hill

Minnath, a resident of Mundakkai who managed to escape the landslide, is now on top of a hill along with another hundred local people.

“I managed to escape in time, but some of my family members are missing. We have taken refuge on a hilltop, but there are people here with serious injuries. An elderly woman and another person are bleeding profusely, and no one has been able to reach us yet,” Minnath told The Federal over the phone.

Eleven bodies recovered

According to PV Anwar, the MLA of Nilambur in Malappuram district, at least 11 bodies have been retrieved from the Chaliyar river, which flows downstream from Wayanad through Mundakkai and Chooral Para.

“We retrieved the first body by 6 am, but more bodies kept coming. We have a count of 10 bodies, though we have also found body parts like limbs and torsos. The bodies have been moved to Nilambur Government Hospital, and efforts are underway to identify them,” said Anwar.

By 8 am, a man who had been submerged in mud up to his neck was found fighting for his life. The Fire force team has just managed to pull him out by 12.10 PM, but his current health condition is unknown.

78 rushed to hospital

“It was a heart-wrenching sight to see him struggling to get out of the mire. We were about 300 metres away, watching helplessly. I called up the officials and the TV channels, and it paid off. At least he has been pulled out,” said Raghavan, a social activist.

“As of 12:30 pm, we have admitted 78 people to MIMS Hospital in Meppadi. Of these, 9 are in the ICU, and three are critically injured,” said Dr Shanawas of the hospital.

Power, mobiles down

Frantic calls are reaching media houses and journalists, urging them to highlight the issues in specific areas that have been stranded for hours with no information available. Electricity and mobile connections are particularly down in the Mundakkai area.

“We are trying to do all we can before 5 pm, as night falls early in the Mundakkai area,” said T Siddique, the local MLA of Kalpetta.

Magnitude not yet known

As this report is being published the magnitude of the disaster is not yet been known, with hundreds of people still missing. The picture will be clear only when the rescue team could reach the ground zero after constructing a make shift bridge.

“The gravity of the situation is beyond imagination. It could take hours if not days to only assess the situation. Please do not come to ground zero for volunteering. Only trained rescuers can make a difference,” urged an NDRF officer we contacted for a picture from the scene.