Meppadi's Heartache: The Aftermath of Wayanad's Devastating Landslide

In the aftermath of a devastating landslide in Meppadi, Wayanad, Kerala, survivors grapple with unimaginable loss. Relief camps are home to thousands who were displaced, and a Mental Health Disaster Management team is providing psychosocial support. With 210 confirmed dead and many missing, rescue operations continue amid challenging conditions.

The sombre silence in the relief camps at Meppadi in Kerala's Wayanad is occasionally pierced by the anguished cries of those who lost everything in the devastating landslide that struck the region last Tuesday.

Survivors find themselves grappling with unimaginable loss, as they have been stripped of everything they once held dear. Their homes, painstakingly built with savings accrued over a lifetime, are now reduced to rubble. Many have lost their loved ones, and it has left them with nothing but memories of what their life once was. As they seek refuge in state government-run camps, they realise that their lives have been fractured beyond repair.

The state government has set up around 17 relief camps near Meppadi, housing 2,597 people from 707 families affected by the destructive landslide in Mundakkai. A total of 91 camps are open across the district, accommodating 9,977 people from 2,981 families, a state government release said. To help survivors cope, the state government formed a Mental Health Disaster Management team providing psychosocial support.

With over 210 lives lost and almost as many still missing, a 121-member team of mental health professionals is working around the clock to support survivors in relief camps and hospitals. The government has also formed a cabinet sub-committee to oversee search and rescue operations and issued special guidelines for the cremation of unidentified bodies. Rescue workers, battling adverse conditions, continue to search through the rubble for survivors and bodies.

(With inputs from agencies.)