Wayanad landslide: 9 dead, rescue operations on

Villagers claimed that more than 40 people were suspected to have trapped under the debris of a massive lanslide which occured here on Thursday. The rescue workers have recovered nine bodies so far. Local people are helping Police and Army personnel in the rescue operations.

More than 100 acres of land were washed away in the landslide.

"It is one of the deadliest landslides to hit the district," Wayanad district collector AR Ajayakumar told Onmanorama over phone from Kalpetta. "A huge hill has been washed away. It has been transformed into a river. So it is difficult to estimate the number of dead at the moment," he said.

Landslide struck Puthumala – which lies 20km north-east of Wayanad district headquarters Kalpetta - on Thursday evening. The debris from the top of the hill and huge rocks fell on a temple, mosque, homes and few vehicles.

Puthumala in Meppady panchayat is home to hundreds of tea plantation workers. The landslide destructed more than 100 acres of tea plantation owned by Harrisons Malayalam Limited. Homes of the plantation workers too went under the debris.

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan had termed the landslide as the 'deadliest in Kerala so far.'

500 shifted to relief camps

Kalpetta MLA CK Saseendran said around 30 people are missing from Puthumala. "It includes migrant labourers who work in the tea plantations. We are trying to trace people and we hope to get an exact number in the coming days," he said.

Personnel from National Disaster Response Force, Kerala Fire Force, Kerala Police and Kerala Forest Department rescued more than 500 people trapped on the other side of Puthumala on Friday. They have been shifted to various relief camps in Meppady. "Around 500 people have been taken to the relief camps," said district collector.

Puthumala, a highly susceptible landslide spot

The Wayanad district administration identified Puthumala as a highly susceptible landslide spot last year. "We expected landslide in Puthumala in 2018, but relatively less rainfall in the region saved us from a calamity," said PU Das, Wayanad District Soil Conservation Officer.

"Heavy rain caused Thursday's landslide. Puthumala received 37cm rain in just 24 hours," he said.

Wayanad had experienced 247 landslides, landslips and land subsidence or cave-ins on August 9 in 2018, a few days before the rest of Kerala hit by the century's worst floods. This is quite unusual as the hilly district – part of the ecologically fragile Western Ghats – did not register a single landslide since 2016 while the last reported case of land subsidence was in 2008.

Landslides are the mass movement of rock, debris or earth down a slope. During landslides, the earth breaks as it cannot withstand the pressure exerted by rain water.

Puthumala has a deep slope and water runs westwards to Chaliyar, one of the major rivers in north Kerala. This, according to Das, has increased chances of mud slip.

Das, who visited Puthumala on Friday morning, said the main landslide happened inside the forest. "It washed huge amount of silt, mud, water and woods. It was quite unexpected," he said.

More landslides in the offing?

Fear has gripped the hill district with the rains continued unabated on Friday. "Wayanad is a vulnerable place, but everything depends on how long the rains continue. It is impossible to predict landslides," said district collector Ajayakumar.

Das said the number of landslides in Wayanad is less this year compared to 2018, but the intensity has increased. "Many hills in Wayanad are prone to landslides, and we are keeping our fingers crossed. We are in for real trouble if rain continues unabated," he said.

A survivor recounts horror

Images of the caving mountain still haunts tea plantation worker Gopalan, who had miraculous escape from the Puthumala landslide.

"Luck was by my side," he told Manorama News TV on Friday. "I saw an entire mountain caving in," he said.

Gopalan was returning home after buying candles from a nearby shop. "I was surprised when the electric cable fell on me. Then I started running towards the highland," he recounted.

When he looked down, Gopalan said, "I saw an entire hill coming down. I saw the tea plantation coming down along with the rocks. I asked my wife to move to the highland. She ran to safety. We are lucky to escape."