At least 50 confirmed dead in massive landslides in Kerala's Wayanad; many still trapped

At least 50 people, including several children, are confirmed dead in a series of landslides that hit the south Indian state of Kerala's hilly Wayanad district early on July 30, authorities said.

The Mundakkai, Chooralmala, Attamala, and Noolpuzha villages were among the areas affected and cut off by the back-to-back landslides, which occurred between 2 am and 6 am, authorities said.

In a video message, United Democratic Front (UDF) Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA) T Siddique said district authorities were drawing up plans to airlift people from the Mundakkai area.

"Currently, we have no complete information about those missing and dead in the landslides. Many areas have been cut off. NDRF (National Disister Response Force) personnel are trying to reach those places," he said.

The death toll is sure to rise, said rescue officials, who estimate that at least 400 families are caught in the tragedy.

According to local residents, more than 200 houses in Chooralmala have been washed away in three landslides that struck the town in four hours.

Meanwhile, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said in a Facebook post that two Air Force helicopters will depart for Wayanad from Sulur shortly to take part in the search and rescue operations.

According to district authorities, several families have been moved to the various camps or homes of their relatives following the landslides.

Vijayan said all government agencies have joined the search and rescue operations in the wake of the landslides that have left hundreds trapped.

The operations will be coordinated, and state ministers will reach the hilly district to lead the rescue activities, Vijayan said in a statement issued by his office.

He added that in the wake of the landslides and other rain-related disasters in Wayanad district, the Health Department — National Health Mission — has opened a control room.

Those in need of emergency assistance can contact authorities through these two numbers — 9656938689 and 8086010833 — the statement said.

The Kerala State Disaster Management Authority (KSDMA) has said that Fire Force and NDRF teams have been deployed to the affected area, with an additional NDRF team en route to Wayanad.

Two teams of Kannur Defence Security Corps have also been instructed to move to Wayanad to assist in the rescue efforts, according to a Facebook post by the KSDMA.

But rescue operations are being hindered by ongoing heavy rainfall, officials said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has spoken to Vijayan and assured all help.

“Distressed by the landslides in parts of Wayanad. My thoughts are with all those who have lost their loved ones and prayers with those injured. Rescue ops are currently underway to assist all those affected. Spoke to Kerala CM Shri @pinaravijayan and also assured all possible help from the Centre in the wake of the prevailing situation there,” Modi said in a post on X.

The Prime Minister's Office has announced a compensation of ₹2 lakh for the families of those killed and ₹50,000 for the injured.

Congress leader and former Wayanad Member of Parliament (MP) said he was “deeply anguished” by the disaster. “I hope those still trapped are brought to safety soon,” he wrote on X.

“I have requested them (Kerala government) to ensure coordination with all agencies, set up a control room, and inform us of any assistance needed for the relief efforts,” he added.

And as rescue teams struggled to reach cut-off villages in the high-range hamlets of Wayanad district, frantic phone calls were made by people desperately pleading for help after being trapped under destroyed houses and piles of debris.

Television channels aired phone conversations of several people crying and requesting someone to come and rescue them as they were either trapped in their houses or had no way to travel as bridges had been washed away and the roads were flooded.

In one such conversation, a woman, apparently a native of Chooralmala town, was heard crying aloud, saying that someone in her house was trapped under the marsh and debris and could not be pulled out.

"Someone, please come and help us. We have lost our house. We don't know whether Nausheen (apparently a family member) is alive. She is trapped in the marsh. Our house is in the town itself," the woman could be heard saying.

A man, another native of Chooralmala, said during a phone conversations that the place was still trembling and they didn't know what to do.

"The earth is trembling. There is a huge noise in the place. We have no way to come from Chooralmala," he said.

Another man, in a phone call, alerted that a large number of people were trapped under mud and battling for life in Mundakkai. "If someone can come here by vehicle from the Meppadi area, we can save the lives of hundreds of people," he said.

An elderly man with injuries told a television channel that his wife was missing and he did not know where she was.

"We were sleeping in the house. Suddenly, a loud noise was heard, and huge boulders and trees were seen suddenly falling down on the roof of our house. Flood water entered the premises, destroying the shutters in front of the house," he said.

He also said someone had rescued him and shifted him to hospital, but his wife was missing.

(PTI inputs)