The recent landslides in Wayanad have left a trail of destruction, claiming over 250 lives and leaving many more missing. Families are grappling with unimaginable loss, searching for their loved ones and trying to rebuild their lives. Survivors share their poignant stories, highlighting the resilience of those affected by this tragedy.
A Night Next to a Tusker
Sujata, an elderly woman, recounted the terrifying night she spent with her grandchild after escaping their collapsing house. Fleeing to a nearby hill on the edge of the forest, they found themselves standing next to a wild elephant.
“We barely escaped from our toppling house,” Sujata told PTI. “We ran to a nearby hill at the edge of the forest. Once we reached there, we realized that we were standing next to a tusker.”
She spoke to the elephant, pleading for safety: “Told him (the elephant) that we lost everything and asked him not to attack us. We spent the entire night next to him.”
Loss of Home and Livelihood
Sirajudeen and his family witnessed boulders and trees crushing their home and livelihood. Their autorickshaw, crucial for their daily earnings, was destroyed.
Ganesh, a security guard from Chooralmala, described the moments leading up to the landslide. “As I reached home, I saw muddy water and woke up my wife who was sleeping. I didn’t waste a single second. We left the house and went to a nearby hilltop,” he said, recalling the urgency of their escape.
Ganesh’s voice filled with grief as he recounted losing his sister, her family, and their home. “As the water rose, we ran to the hilltop. We saw my sister’s house being washed away in the first landslide. The second landslide took away my house too.”
A Father’s Desperate Search
Amid the chaos, a father searches desperately for his missing 14-year-old daughter, Anamika, who was staying at her grandmother’s house during the landslide. With tears in his eyes, he said, “My youngest daughter is missing. Unless I can identify her, I will not believe that she is gone. I will consider that she has gone to some faraway place for higher studies.”
The disaster has affected families across the region, with over 25 children among the deceased. As rescue operations continue, the death toll is expected to rise, deepening the heartache for the people of Wayanad.