In the landslide that swept away several hundred houses in Kerala’s Wayanad on July 30, a man stuck mid-river in Mundakkai was rescued from the mud and taken to land by stretcher. However, as the bridge connecting Mundakkai to the rest of the district has been swept away in the landslide, taking him to the hospital in Meppadi will take more time and effort. The rescued man has not been identified yet.
According to reports, he was stuck waist-deep in mud and rocks for over five hours. Visuals from the ground showed him waving to rescuers as he awaited help. Rescue efforts reportedly took more than two hours.
Three consecutive landslides caused massive damage in the Wayanad district of Kerala in the early hours of Tuesday, July 30. The death toll has risen to 44, and hundreds have been trapped or injured. More than nine bodies were found further downstream of the Chaliyar river in Pothukal in the neighbouring district of Malappuram.
Wayanad is a hilly region dotted with tea estates. The estate workers live in houses called ‘layams’ on the hills. Many of the layams were destroyed in the rains, while others were totally devastated by landslides that trapped and killed the residents. The landslides happened between 2 am and 6 am on Tuesday, July 30.
The affected areas come under the Kalpetta assembly constituency. They include Meppadi, Chooralmala, Vythiri, and Mundakkai.
Rescue efforts are underway in Chooralmala and the injured have been taken to the Primary Health Centre and a private hospital in Meppadi. However, no rescue team has reached Mundakkai yet, as it has been cut off from the rest of the district. NDRF personnel are attempting to cross the river using ropes. Adverse weather conditions and strong currents are making the rescue efforts difficult.