123 & MOUNTING...DEADLY LANDSLIDES ROCK KERALA

Wayanad (Kerala): In one of the worst natural disasters in Kerala, at least 123 persons were killed and 128 injured in massive landslides triggered by torrential rains in Wayanad on Tuesday.

With hundreds trapped under the debris, sparking fears of mounting fatalities, rescue agencies were racing against time to pull out any survivors.

Government sources said 123 people have been killed so far in the tragedy.

Heart-wrenching scenes and phone conversations of several people crying and pleading to be rescued, as they were either trapped in their houses or had no way to move out of places where they were stranded, were witnessed after the landslides that left a trail of death and destruction in the picturesque hamlets of Mundakkai, Chooralmala, Attamala and Noolpuzha.

Earlier, speaking at a press conference in Thiruvananthapuram about the massive tragedy, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said: "Due to the intense rainfall, landslides occurred, and an entire region has been destroyed. Ninety-three bodies have been recovered so far."

"Children who went to sleep last night, including infants, are among those who lost their lives in this disaster and are now buried under the earth. The floodwaters swept away many people. Sixteen bodies were recovered from the Chaliyar River in Pothukallu in Malappuram district (neighbouring Wayanad), and body parts were also found," Vijayan said.

"This is one of the most severe natural disasters our state has ever seen," he said. He said the first landslide occurred at 2 am, followed by another at 4.10 am, adding that Meppadi, Mundakkai and Chooralmala areas have been cut off and the Chooralmala-Mundakkai road has been destroyed.

The Vellarimala GHSS school has been completely buried under the earth and the Iruvazhinjipuzha river has split into two, Vijayan said, giving details of the destruction caused by the landslides and rain.

"There are still people trapped under the earth and swept away by the floodwaters. Efforts to find them will continue," Vijayan said.

Rescue teams comprising the Army, Navy and NDRF are collectively looking for survivors amid the rough weather.

Meanwhile, Congress sources said that Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi and party General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra who were to visit Wayanad on Wednesday morning, had put off their visit followng bad weather. Wayanad, a hill district, is known for its lush green forests, rolling hills, and sparkling waterfalls.

IMD red alert for Wayanad, more Kerala districts

The India Meteorological Department on Tuesday issued a red alert for the mountain district of Wayanad -- which has been rocked by landslides triggered by incessant rains -- and all the northern districts of Kerala, indicating that extremely heavy rainfall is expected in these regions.

While the IMD has issued a red alert for eight districts, including Wayanad, an orange alert was issued for Tuesday for Pathanamthitta, Alappuzha, Kottayam and Ernakulam districts. A red alert indicates heavy-to-extremely heavy rain of over 20 cm.

Prediction system, safe structures must

Scientists and experts called for a landslide prediction mechanism and construction of safe structures for the vulnerable population after a series of landslides in Kerala killed more than 100 people.

Madhavan Rajeevan, former secretary of the Union Earth Sciences Ministry, said weather agencies can predict extremely heavy rainfall events, but whether that would trigger a landslide cannot be said with certainty.

"We need a separate mechanism for landslide prediction," Rajeevan told PTI. Sreekumar, a disaster risk management expert, told PTI that rainfall above 120 mm for two to three days is enough to trigger landslides. (PTI)