Wayanad: A Silence Echoed in the Ruins of Chooralmala

The once-thriving Chooralmala in Wayanad has become a ghost town after a catastrophic landslide swept away homes and lives. Survivors, like Suhara Joseph, are haunted by the memories of lost loved ones, while the local economy struggles as the area remains closed to tourism.

Suhara Joseph, 56, seeks solace under a shop's shade in Chooralmala, a Wayanad district area devastated by last year's catastrophic landslide.

The disaster on July 30 obliterated her home, leaving only painful memories of lives lost, including that of close neighbors who visited her the previous night.

The aftermath sees ghostly towns, like the Mundakkai and Chooralmala regions, with silent shells of once-lively homes. Survivors and local shopkeepers struggle, as tourism, once their lifeline, has been banned to maintain the area's solemnity.

(With inputs from agencies.)