Trapped amidst collapsed walls: Wayanad landslide survivors describe apocalyptic ordeal at dawn

Meppadi: Residents of Wayanad's landslide-affected areas are still reeling from the apocalyptic ordeal that unfolded at dawn on Tuesday.

For many who survived the landslide and are now receiving treatment at Dr. Moopen's Medical College, the dawn was filled with moments of extreme terror.

Several individuals spent the early hours in hospital beds, unsure of the whereabouts of their relatives. The sight of mourners in the hospital compound, anxiously searching for their loved ones, further intensified the prevailing sense of despair.

Missing relatives

Mallika is desperately searching for six relatives who went missing following the landslide. She has been in tears in the hospital compound. Reports indicate that the bodies of three of the missing have been recovered, but there is no information yet on the remaining three.

Trapped amidst collapsed walls and roofs

“The walls and roof collapsed. Everything fell on top of us. The house was inundated with water. There was a tremendous noise. I couldn’t find my wife, daughters, or the girl. We were trapped inside the house for hours,” said an elderly man from Chooralmala.

“I stayed huddled in a corner throughout the night. That’s how I survived. I lay in the mud until daylight. In the morning, rescuers arrived. All my documents and possessions were destroyed. I don’t need anything as long as I’m alive,” he added.

Back-to-back landslides

“It was around 1 am when the landslide occurred. Water surged into the house, and power lines and trees fell. My wife was trapped in the mud, and we couldn’t free her. A young tenant assisted in her rescue,” recounted Suleiman from Chooralmala.

He further detailed the ordeal: “We fled to my son’s nearby house, but they were also in a state of panic. We all made our way to the road and sought refuge in another house. While we were washing off the mud, we learned of a second landslide. We escaped from there and eventually found a vehicle. My wife is still in the ICU,” he added.