Devastation in Wayanad: Landslides Turn Scenic Villages into Disaster Zones

Massive landslides hit the high-range villages of Wayanad in Kerala, causing significant destruction and loss of life. Picturesque hamlets like Mundakkai and Chooralmala turned into disaster zones, with broken trees, swollen water bodies, and washed-away vehicles. Rescue efforts continue amid challenging conditions.

Destroyed houses, swollen water bodies, and broken branches of uprooted trees dot the high-range villages of Wayanad, which were rocked by massive landslides on Tuesday. Picturesque hamlets known for their beauty until Monday—Mundakkai, Chooralmala, Attamala, and Noolpuzha—are now scenes of devastation after the landslides hit the areas, cutting them off from other places.

In various locations, vehicles washed away in floodwaters could be seen stuck in tree trunks and submerged. Swollen water bodies changed their courses and flowed through inhabited areas, resulting in widespread destruction.

Rescue workers faced heavy rains and obstacles like huge boulders that rolled down the hills, hampering their efforts. Despite these challenges, they persisted in shifting the dead and injured into ambulances.

As the landslides caused mass uprooting of trees and floodwaters washed away the green patches, affected villages took on a desert-like appearance in many places.

Authorities confirmed that eight people, including three children, died in the landslides on Tuesday. Among the deceased, four people, including one child, died in Chooralmala, and another one-year-old child from Nepal died in Thondernad village. Mundakkai, Chooralmala, Attamala, and Noolpuzha villages were among the isolated areas due to the landslides, authorities reported.

(With inputs from agencies.)