Chooralmala: A KSRTC bus parked beside a deep gorge in Chooralmala has been a silent witness to the massive landslide that destroyed the hills of Mundakkai and Chooralmala. This bus that operates the last service of the day to Mundakkai would be parked at Chooralmala at night. The employees in this KSRTC bus were the first few people to announce the news of the deadly landslide to the outside world. CK Muhammad Kunji is the conductor of the KSRTC bus from Kalpetta to Mundakkai while PV Sajith is the driver. As usual, the bus ran the last service to Mundakkai on Monday night too.
What happened on the night of the landslide
The bus that departed from Kalpetta at 8.30 pm reached Mundakkai by 9.45 pm. Muhammad and Sajith shudder to think whether some of the passengers who took their bus to Mundakkai last night is still alive. The bus took the road in front of the Chooralmala temple to reach the clinic. The employees parked the bus in front of the clinic and spent the night in a small room close to the building. The first landslide hit Mundakkai at around 1 am on Tuesday. But, Muhammad Kunji didn’t hear the sound as they stayed around two kilometres away from Chooralmala. The second landslide happened by 4 am. They woke up hearing the loud sound of boulders and trees hitting the surroundings.
Meanwhile, the station master of Kalpetta depot Prashant was worried, after hearing the news about the landslide. He had been calling Muhammad and Sijith since 3 am, but the call wasn’t getting through. By 4 am, they called the depot and informed that they were safe. They assured that the bus too isn’t damaged even though a massive landslide had occurred. They soon began receiving phone calls from their dear ones warning them against roaming outside in unfamiliar terrain. But, when the sun came up, they were shattered by the heartbreaking sights. They couldn’t find the bridge they had passed the previous night. Chooralmala market, the buildings there, houses and the settlements had completely vanished. The duo immediately filmed videos of the destruction and sent to their friends, asking them to circulate so that help would arrive soon.
The army opened the Bailey Bridge across the river by Wednesday morning. Muhammad Kunji says that they were able to cross the river by 6.30 in the evening. Meanwhile, the KSRTC bus is still parked at the same spot, on the other side of the river.
