Wayanad landslides: Scared of rain, Shakkira made her family escape

KOCHI: The kind of fear a persisting downpour brings to ones mind can be a saviour at times. Shakkira felt it when it poured on Monday night and pestered her husband, children and in-laws to leave Mundakkai for her house at Meppadi. Initially reluctant, Mohammed Alis heeded finally. Hours later, tragedy struck the area and swept away their neighbours and close relatives.

"It has been raining heavily in our area for the past two days. As it poured on Monday night, my wife got scared. Though we told her there was nothing to worry about, she insisted on moving to Meppadi. We heeded finally and left for her house. Hours later, a landslide hit the area. Only my house is standing there now, filled with debris and muddy water. The rest of the houses in the neighbourhood, S S Road, got washed away," said Alis while attending to the injured at a private hospital.

Alis suspects the origin of the landslide to be at Velladipara, around one kilometre above Mundakkai town. He said local residents in his area did not expect the tragedy would strike them as they remained safe from natural disasters all these years.

"While leaving for Meppadi, we asked some in the area to move to a safe location. But they hesitated and stayed back. My father's brother and his family are missing," Alis, PTA vice-president of Mundakkai Govt LP School.

Alis says the area has become uninhabitable. "The density of population was high. Though luck favoured many, we don't know how many lost lives and how many are missing. I had spent Rs 80,000 for constructing a gate for our house. We invested all our resources there, which has become uninhabitable. We don't want to live there any longer," said Alis.