Wayanad landslides: Steel tumbler saves lives of Rashi and his family

KOCHI: It was around 1.15am on Tuesday when Mohammed Rashi P and his family were woken up from deep sleep by the sharp metallic clanging sound of a stainless-steel glass that fell on the floor from a stool. Rashi, wife Farsana and their three minor children stood up rubbing their eyes, but soon felt the house trembling in the heavy rain, which has been lashing the region for three days. They also heard a thud, not away from their home.

Rashi and Farsana did not wait for a second thought and, carrying their children in their arms and taking only their mobile phones, they jumped out of the house. They ran through the dark and sought refuge in a resort nearby.

"We ran in the heavy rain guided by the torch of our mobile phones. We knew the resort, 100 metres away, would be a safe place as it is situated on a highland. Some of our neighbours also reached there but many others did not notice the looming danger as they were all asleep. The steel glass saved us," recounts Rashi, whose many relatives are missing.

In hindsight, experience helped the family run to safety.

"A similar situation had arisen on Aug 8, 2020, when a minor landslide occurred at the same place where a major landslide occurred on Tuesday. At that time, flood water from Mundakkai river entered our compound though it did not cause any damage. As it was still in our minds, we didn't waste a second. There were around 30 houses in our locality. Now I can see only four of them," said Rashi. He could not go back and look whether his house was still there or not.

The family remained in the resort along with others without food till afternoon when the rescue team reached there. They walked for 1km through the forest to catch a jeep which carried them to Chooralmala before heading to a rehabilitation camp.