One person is reported missing following a landslide that struck the Vilangad area in Kozhikode district, Kerala, on Tuesday morning. Meanwhile, the Wayanad district of the state is struggling with landslides caused by heavy rainfall.
The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) is carrying out search and rescue operations. The landslide has destroyed the Malayangad bridge and partially damaged four houses along the riverbank, isolating 15 families. Fortunately, no casualties have been reported, and residents living along the riverbanks have been relocated.
In a separate incident, a landslide on the Kaithapoyil-Anorammal-Valliyad road has covered about 80 meters of the road with debris, resulting in the evacuation of seven families from the area. Additionally, landslides in the Pashukadav region of Kuttikkad Maruthonkara village have caused significant disruption. The heavy rains have led to flooding, which has waterlogged streets and inundated houses and shops.
As water levels in the Kadantara river continue to rise, residents from the Preakkandod, Mukkam, and Peetikappara areas have been moved to temporary shelters. To manage the increasing water levels, two shutters of the Kakkayam Dam have been raised by four feet in multiple stages.
Residents living along the Kuttayyadi riverbanks have been advised to be cautious. Heavy rainfall has raised water levels in the Poonur, Mahe, Kuttayyadi, Chaliyar, and Cherupuzha rivers to critical levels, prompting warnings for vigilance in these areas. Additionally, access to tourist spots in the district has been restricted, and quarry operations have been suspended due to the intense rainfall.
At present, 854 individuals from 196 families are taking refuge in 41 relief camps across Kozhikode district, with many others seeking shelter at relatives’ homes. Residents in areas prone to landslides have been advised to relocate. In Kozhikode Taluk, 24 relief camps are accommodating 298 people. Vadakara Taluk has two camps housing 21 individuals, Koilandy Taluk has seven camps with 161 people, and Thamarassery Taluk has eight camps sheltering 374 people.
Regarding the search and rescue operations in Wayanad, S. Shankar Pandian, Deputy Commandant of the NDRF, stated “Our teams are located at various locations in Wayanad. Even in Kozhikode, a landslide was suspected, the NDRF team is deployed there. Already, three teams of NDRF are in Wayanad. We are doing our best to carry out rescue efforts. We are facing difficulty in reaching interior parts in the landslide-affected area.”
Kerala Chief Secretary V. Venu announced that more than 80 bodies have been recovered as rescue operations persist in the landslide-affected areas of Wayanad. Additionally, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a red alert for heavy rainfall in eight districts across the state.
A red alert has been issued for the districts of Idukki, Thrissur, Palakkad, Malappuram, Kozhikode, Wayanad, Kannur, and Kasargod. An orange alert has been sounded for Pathanamthitta, Alappuzha, Kottayam, and Ernakulam districts.
