Other Major Landslides In Kerala (image: x.com/BYRBJP/)
The southern state of Kerala has now become increasingly vulnerable to rain-induced flooding and landslides. Wayanad landslides are the latest on the list. In the wee hours of the Tuesday morning, massive landslides struck various hilly areas near Meppadi in the district, killing at least 93 people and leaving over 100 people feared to be trapped. Rescue operations by the State and Centre teams are progressing, though continuing rainfall hinders their functioning.
Landslides in Kerala
According to a The Week report, that cited experts, 13 districts in Kerala are prone to landslides except the coastal district of Alappuzha. Nearly 8 percent of the area in the Western Ghats in Kerala is classified as a critical zone for mass movements, including debris flow, landslides, rock falls, and slumps, the report adds.
In addition, the Kerala State Disaster Management Authority (KSDMA) has located 1,848 square kilometers, or 4.75 percent of the state’s total area, as a High Landslide Hazard Zone.
Also Read | “93 Bodies Recovered”: Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan On Wayanad Landslides
Some of the landslides in the past that wreaked havoc in the Southern State are:
Koottikkal and Kokkayar Landslides (2021)
An incessant rain triggered landslides across Kavali, Plassery, and Poovanchy in the Kootikkal-Kokkayar area of the Idukki and Kottayam districts. As Koottikkal witnessed the loss of at least 25 people, the Kokkayar region claimed seven lives.
Pettimudi Landslide (2020)
The landslide at Pettimudi Hills in Idukki district occurred on the night of August 6, 2020. It hit tea estate workers’ quarters or estate layams (line houses), claiming 66 lives, where the bodies of four people are yet to be found.
Kavalappara Landslide (2019)
The mishap happened at Kavalappara village in Malappuram on August 8, 2019, as a part of Muthappan Hill came down following heavy rain, burying a village. Though the bodies of at least 46 people were recovered, it is believed that 11 individuals are still underground.
Puthumala Landslide (2019)
A massive landslide occurred at Puthumala, near Meppadi in the Wayanad, on the same night of the Kavalappara tragedy. It took the lives of 12 people and completely destroyed 58 houses. Several houses were partially destroyed, and the bodies of five people are yet to be found.
Also Read| Heartbreaking Stories From Wayanad’s Mundakkai
Amboori Landslide (2001)
The landslide at Amboori in Thiruvananthapuram district resulted in the deaths of 39 people from six families. The tragedy happened on November 9, 2001, when a hill came down to a house where a large group of people gathered to attend an engagement ceremony.
Kerala Still Remembers Victor George
Victor George, acclaimed photographer of the Malayalam daily Malayala Manorama, lost his life on July 9, 2001, while taking photographs of a devastating landslide that had taken the lives of three people near Udumbannur in Idukki district. Torrential rains in the afternoon triggered another landslide, resulting in his death. His remains were found two days later, 3 kilometers from the site.
