History repeats in Mundakkai: A re-run through landslides that shocked Wayanad

Kozhikode: Chooralmala village was once full of houses, trees, schools and whatnot! However, on Tuesday morning, the village almost vanished. All that was left was the blanketed mud, the horror of not being able to find the lives that had perished in it, and the wails that rose.

The land now doesn’t even know where to look for loved ones. There were about two hundred houses on both sides of the road.

Although the landslide occurred at Mundakkai, water, mud and rocks were washed away into the Chooralmala School Road, Vellarmala GVHS School, bridge and temple situated some 3 km away. Houses and buildings on both sides of Chooralmala School Road were completely destroyed.

The school road extends from Chooralmala market to the 8th mile. There were about 200 houses, including two-storied concrete houses, nothing remains here.

The river changed its course when it overflowed from the Mundakkai side. A few families were relocated on Thursday as a precaution. All the remaining families stayed back. Big stones and earth fell here. Even the roofs of the houses rested in the swamp. In some places, everything was so wiped out that it was not even possible to know that there was a house. Due to the mud in the houses, it is not even possible to know if anyone is trapped inside. The rescue workers found many people alive and half alive from this mud.

Those who came in search of their missing relatives could not even identify where their loved ones' homes were. "We woke up at 2 am to the sound of terror. Soon he reached Chooralmala market, but he could not go to the side of the road. There was only the smell of mud everywhere,'' local resident K Nabab said.

The people of Wayanad are yet to recover from the impact of the Puthumala landslide in 2019. In the meantime, another tragedy struck again. Locals say that they never expected such an accident to happen at Chooralmala.

Landslides are being repeated in Wayanad.

History repeats in Mundakkai

Massive rocks along with mud fell on the village in no time. Unable to escape, helpless humans and animals were buried underground in Tuesday's landslides. The same tragedy happened in Mundakkai village 40 years ago.

Mundakkai

On July 1, 1984, a landslide in Mundakkai claimed the lives of 14 people and destroyed 80 houses.

Kappikalam

On June 19, 1992, a landslide killed 11 members of a family. Only a 12-year-old girl from this family survived that day.

Makhimala - Kurichyarmala

The landslide that occurred on August 9, 2018 caused massive damage at Thalapuzha in Makhimala. Nine people died in the incident. A mountain collapsed for about a five kilometer-stretch at Ammara in Kurichyarmala. A total of 15 houses were destroyed. Within a week, 57 small and big landslides occurred in this area. The only school in Kurichyarmala, Govt LP school, was also washed away.

Puthumala

Puthumala tragedy happened on August 8, 2019. A village was washed away in no time in the tragic incident. And the lives of 17 people. As many as 12 bodies were found. Five people could not be found. A total of 58 houses in the region were completely destroyed and 22 other ones were partially destroyed. Puthumala is five kilometers away from Mundakkai.