‘Public search’ at Wayanad landslide sites fails to yield much
In the search, involving the survivors and the victims’ relatives, State and Central forces and govt. officials too take part. Some struggle to pinpoint the location of their houses, while some lingered longingly near their mangled vehicles. Some managed to retrieve documents
A torn ration card, a bank passbook, and an Aadhaar card — these were all that Pradeep, an estate worker at Mundakkai, could retrieve from the landslide-ravaged house of his brother Prashobh as part of a State government-initiated search, involving the public and the victims’ relatives, on Friday, 11 days after the calamity in Wayanad that claimed 225 lives.
Prashob’s entire family, except his daughter Maya, was killed in the landslide on July 31. Maya, has been admitted to a private medical college at Meppadi with serious injuries.
Scores of survivors reached ground zero early in the morning in an attempt to salvage some crumbs of consolation by searching for souvenirs of shared existence they lost in the massive earthfall. They were returning to the devastated villages of Chooralmala, Mundakkai and Punchirimattom after a hiatus of 11 days. As many as 190 survivors joined the search with their relatives and friends.
All had fled their homes when disaster struck in the darkness. The scale of the devastation dawned on them as they inspected the debris-filled expanse in daylight. Several inspected what little remained of their ruined homes that were surrounded by uprooted trees caked in mud and fallen boulders. Some retrieved family photographs, soggy clothes, and marriage certificates — stark reminders of the community life snuffed out by the landslide. Some survivors struggled to identify the locations where their homes once stood.
Safad, a 30-year-old, took part in the search with a little hope but could not retrieve any valuables since there was nothing left except a heap of mud and slush. He lost his father, mother and eight-year-old brother in the catastrophe. Safad was in Thrissur when the landslide wiped out his home.
Similar was the plight of many others who were looking for documents or keepsakes. The newly renovated house of Jojo V. Joseph at Chooralmala was a refuge 30-odd neighbours after the first landslide on July 31. But five people, including his wife, Neethu, went missing after the third landslide around 3.30 p.m. He managed to rescue his father and five-year-old son. Neethu’s body was retrieved three days later from Mukkam.
Jojo was one among the many searching for documents lost in the calamity. A few survivors lingered longingly near their mangled two-wheelers and cars. The emergency responders, assisted by dog squads, searched locations identified by survivors. As many as 131 persons remain missing.
The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), Fire Force personnel, police officials, Revenue department officials, people’s representatives and volunteers took part in the search operation. Earth movers were deployed as per relatives’ demand. The police used GPS maps of the area to help with the five-hour-long search that concluded around 2.30 p.m.
Public Works Minister P.A. Mohamed Riyas and Leader of the Opposition V.D. Satheesan visited the sites on Friday.
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