look news india
Choorlamala Landslide: Collapsed buildings, huge pits filled with mud and huge boulders scattered here and there. This was the scene around Mundakkai junction and the nearby town of Churalmala in Wayanad, Kerala on Wednesday morning. The massive destruction has turned it into a ghost town. Churalmala, famous for its natural beauty and beautiful waterfalls, was a favourite tourist destination. Thithipara waterfall, Vellolipara and Sita Sarovar in Churalmala used to be places where people used to spend holidays but today there is mourning there. Survivors shudder at the memory of the devastation that took place on Tuesday night.
saved because of the cow
Ayurvedic doctor Vinod of Churalmala village said that we were in deep sleep. Then my cow started making loud noises. I am alive because of them. Otherwise I would have died. Dr. Vinod N said that I am lucky that I am alive. 29-year-old Vinod and his mother Gowramma are residents of Chamarajanagar district of Karnataka. Both are among those who survived the landslide.
The whole village was submerged in water
It was raining and we were sleeping as usual. At around 1 am, our cow started making loud noises. We were worried so my mother Gowramma and I went to check on her in the shed. But we saw that the barn and the entire village was submerged in water. “I woke up three of my relatives and 10 others from my street and we rushed to the hospital,” he said. “We were surprised to find that the hospital was also submerged. However, we immediately moved towards a hill as we saw a landslide on the other side. We were walking with our lives at stake.
Helped in the morning
Vinod said that we waited for help till morning and after 10 hours we were taken to rescue centers. He said that I am married to Pravidha, who hails from Chamarajanagar district. She and my two-month-old child were in Meppadi, where the landslide occurred. Pravidha got a call from Vinod and he asked her to leave the city quickly. Vidhan Vinod said that there has been a lot of destruction. Pravidha was taken to Chamarajanagar by her cousin.
ran 2-3 kilometers to save his life
He said that we were running desperately on the hills for 2-3 kms. There were many other landslides around us and I cannot believe that I am alive today. He said, then I remembered my cow. I tried to go back but by then my house, cow and everything else had been washed away.
He returned to the village to find his men
With the death toll rising and many people still missing, Vinod returned to the village as a volunteer. How can I leave my village in such a situation? There is no proof that Choorlamala was there. Many of my friends and family whom I used to interact with on a daily basis are missing. A 16-day-old baby is missing. It is heartbreaking to see the bodies of the dead piling up. More than 300 people from my village and surrounding areas are still missing. I will try my best to rescue them. Heavy landslides hit several villages in Wayanad after torrential rains on Tuesday morning. More than 167 people died and hundreds were injured.
