At least 123 dead, 128 injured In Kerala Landslides; Rescuers Race Against Time To Find Survivors

At least 123 persons were killed and 128 injured in massive landslides triggered by torrential rains in Wayanad on Tuesday. With hundreds trapped under the debris, sparking fears of mounting fatalities, rescue agencies were racing against time to pull out any survivors.

Government sources said 123 people have been killed so far in the tragedy.

Heart-wrenching scenes and phone conversations of several people crying and pleading to be rescued, as they were either trapped in their houses or had no way to move out of places where they were stranded, were witnessed after the landslides that left a trail of death and destruction in the picturesque hamlets of Mundakkai, Chooralmala, Attamala and Noolpuzha.

Earlier, speaking at a press conference in Thiruvananthapuram about the massive tragedy, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said: 'Due to the intense rainfall, landslides occurred, and an entire region has been destroyed. Ninety-three bodies have been recovered so far.' He said 128 people are undergoing treatment at various hospitals.

'Children who went to sleep last night, including infants, are among those who lost their lives in this disaster and are now buried under the earth. The floodwaters swept away many people. Sixteen bodies were recovered from the Chaliyar River in Pothukallu in Malappuram district (neighbouring Wayanad), and body parts were also found,' Vijayan said.

'This is one of the most severe natural disasters our state has ever seen,' he said.

He said 34 bodies have been identified, and 18 of them have been handed over to relatives of the deceased persons. More than 3,000 people have been shifted to 45 relief camps set up in the district, Vijayan added.

The CM also said that 16 bodies were recovered from the Chaliyar river at Pothukal village in the district. Besides that, body parts were also recovered by those carrying out search and rescue operations, he said.

Vijayan said that the initial landslide occurred around 2 a.m. and the next one hit around 4:30 a.m., leaving hundreds trapped beneath the debris and many more being swept away.

The landslides occurred when the villagers were sleeping, catching them off-guard and resulting in the high number of casualties, he said.

Vijayan said 45 camps have been set up in the district and around 3,069 people have been rehabilitated there.