The Wayanad landslides of July 30th, 2024, were a brutal reminder of nature's raw and destructive power. Hundreds of lives lost, homes destroyed, and a the whole state left reeling.

Neethu, an executive at Wayanad Institute of Medical Sciences (WHIMS) was likely the first one to call the emergency services about the initial landslide. That fateful night at around 1:30 am, Neethu was awakened by the terrifying noises of a landslide. A rockslide had occurred at Chooralmala,-the first to be hit by the disaster. Neethu saw water gushing into her house and neighboring homes when she started making panic calls for help.

Neethu's urgent voice crackled in a now-viral recording of her call to emergency services, stating, "There is a landslide in Chooralmala. I reside just behind the school. Can you please send someone to help us?"

She described the horror unfolding around her – the house shaking, water rushing in, and the debris of the collapsing landscape threatening to engulf them all.

Dr Shanavas Palliyal, the DGM of Dr. Moopen's Medical College was one of the first people she called for help. She told that Neethu sounded very distressed and was calling for help. She immediately informed the police and our ambulance from the hospital left for Chooralmala.

But Neethu's concern wasn't just for herself. "Five to six families who used to live near us have come here," she reported, emphasizing the function her home served as – a brief refuge for those escaping the first surge of the landslide. The call depicted the urgency and chaos, as Neethu begged for help. "The water is rising inside the house. Please send help as soon as possible."

Unfortunately, assistance came after it was too late for Neethu. The damage caused by the landslide itself made it difficult to carry out rescue operations. Due to the washed-out bridges, uprooted trees and blocked roads, rescuers were unable to reach Neethu and the others stuck with her. The second landslide that came few hours after her first call, washed away a part of Neethu's house. The part she was in, separating her from rest of her family. After the second landslide she was trapped in a room with other neighbors and was unable to escape. By the time rescuers reached it was too late.

While the rescuers work through day and night to save lives, the death toll after the disaster has crossed a mark of 200, with over 3000 homes destroyed and hundreds still missing.

Amidst the chaos Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav blamed the government of Kerela for approving "illegal human habitat expansion and mining" in the state's eco-sensitive region which resulted in the disaster. He said that the state government did not pay attention to the environmental factors like soil topography, condition of the land, mountain slopes and geo-morphology of the ecologically fragile region and allowed for population to inhabit the area.

Jojo, Neethu's husband was able to rescue his six-year-old-son and his parents, while pulling them out to the terrace of neighboring house. When he returned for Neethu, she was nowhere to be found. With the second landslide striking hard, Neethu and few others were separated from rest of the people and trapped inside the room and were washed away. For four days, her family held on to hope of meeting her again. On the fifth day, while searching through the bodies brought to Nilambur Taluk Hospital and Meppadi Family Health Centre, her body was identified. She was cremated at Chooralmala Sebastian's Church Cemetery.

(input from various media sources)

(Rehash/ Dr. Abhilasha Manker/MSM)