I arrived on the fourth day; it was nearly afternoon by the time I reached.
On my journey from Chennai to Wayanad, I passed areas teeming with volunteers. There were no buses, and I had to take lifts from strangers.
The place resembled a war zone with ambulances moving in and out. People were busy searching for bodies with the help of heavy machinery. Chooralmala, Attamala and Mundakkai towns were in ruins -- no signs of habitable spaces. The residents' lives were shattered, and they couldn't even recognize the bodies of loved ones.
The riverbanks were piled with debris and dead bodies, so rescuers and family searching for bodies used sticks to navigate the riverbanks and avoid sinking into the sand. My leg got stuck in the sand. It was impossible to identify the bodies, only their fragments lay scattered around. I have a deep connection to nature, but this experience terrified me.
Due to the language barrier, I could only be witness to the devastation. I held back from disturbing them. I had wanted to come here earlier but ill health held me back.
I walked roughly three kilometres, following the
path of the flowing water. Houses lay buried in the ground, and some had
disappeared completely. Everywhere I saw volunteers searching for bodies. Even
the army were out conducting searches. I stayed for two days and during that
time no bodies were found, but the search continued relentlessly. Everyone was
working together, not giving up, sharing food and tea. The feeling of unity
surprised me.
The villages of Chooralmala and Attamala were completely washed out. Volunteers had to use excavators, some bringing their own machinery to help
When I spoke to some of the residents, they mentioned a similar incident nearby Puthumala in August 8, 2019 where nearly 40 people died, and in 2021 where nearly 17 people died. This is the third time. Around 430 people are estimated to have lost their lives, and 150 people were missing.
When I left on the last day, I was informed that eight bodies were buried near Puthumala. Volunteers from all religions (Hindu, Christian, Muslim and others) were present and all rituals were observed. No one knew who the eight bodies belonged to but everyone prayed together and buried them.
There was no sound of weeping. The rain continued to fall.
Why do such tragedies repeatedly occur here? The entire area looked like a mixture of soil and rock which could be a reason for the instability. While taking photos, I saw nothing but this mixture – not exactly a mountain or just rock.
The continuous rain was something unprecedented for the area, and the unstable ground caved in with the rain falling from one to five in the morning. Three landslides followed, at night. Every building and school I saw reminded me of this. Speaking with volunteers I realised that everyone was stuck there, even those conducting the search seemed lost. And the people who live there…they may never fully recover.
The Wayanad tragedy occurred in an area with numerous tea estates. Seen here are the houses of tea estate workers
The fast flowing river has turned brown carrying soil eroded by heavy rain in the Mundakkai and Chooralmala regions
The land is a mix of soil and rock, and when saturated with heavy rain became unstable, contributing significantly to the disaster
The excessive rain and flowing flow led to soil erosion and this tea estate has completely collapsed; volunteers are searching for bodies amidst the ruins of the estate
Many children who survived the accident are deeply affected by the trauma
Rocks and soil buried many houses
The homes of tea estate workers in Wayanad were severely damaged
This two storey house was completely destroyed by tumbling rocks which came in the flood
Many vehicles sustained severe damage and are now completely unusable
Volunteers snatch a few minutes to rest
When homes fell, families lost everything, their belongings buried in wet soil
The army is working along with volunteers in search operations
Search operations in the vicinity of a mosque
Machines (left) are helping move soil and find people. A volunteer (right) searches for bodies along the river
Volunteers are playing a crucial role in rescue efforts
This school has completely collapsed
Volunteers use sticks to prevent sinking into the wet soil as they walk
Excavators are being used for digging and moving soil
Locals and others who are volunteering here in Wayanad take a break to eat
One of the worst affected villages, Puthumala has experienced similar disasters in 2019 and 2021
Working through the night, volunteers await the arrival of bodies
Volunteers equipped with emergency kits prepare to collect the bodies from the ambulances
The bodies are carried to a prayer hall where people from all religions have gathered to offer their prayers for the deceased
The bodies of people who died are wrapped in white and carried
Many bodies have not been identified
Burials taking place following the prayer service
Volunteers working through the night
