As the death toll from the catastrophic landslides in the Wayanad district keeps rising, a government doctor has revealed a heartbreaking explanation for the true extent of the catastrophe. She was sent to a nearby hospital to conduct post-mortem tests when she saw scenes that would always haunt her.
Her voice was filled with emotion as she continued, "I'm accustomed to performing post-mortems, but nothing could have prepared me for this."
"The body was so severely crushed, I couldn't bear to look twice. It was like nothing I've ever seen before," referring to a victim who was lying on her autopsy table, she stated.
The doctor, who prefers to be anonymous, has years of experience in her area, but she is shaken by the extent of the landslide's destruction.
"I've seen many bodies in my career, but this was different. The impact was so severe, it was as if the person had been pulverized," she stated.
More and more bodies, most of them severely disfigured, started to arrive as she trembled at the sight of the bodies.
Several forensic surgeons from various areas of the state started to arrive to aid speed the post-mortem process after she and her team of doctors were overwhelmed by the quantity of bodies on day one.
"There were eight tables for conducting post-mortems, and by evening, we had so many forensic surgeons that each table had one forensic surgeon at it. By 7.30 pm, we were able to complete as many as 53 post-mortems." the doctor added.
The forensic surgeons worked until 11:30 p.m. on the first day of the accident, when they finished autopsying over 93 bodies.
There was no delay in finishing the treatments because the system operated so well that there were many forensic surgeons available.
"The situation is so pathetic. We have never seen bodies in such conditions before. Even seasoned doctors found it difficult to handle bodies in this state." the doctor added.
People had been crushed by the impact's immense force, which frequently tore them to pieces. Doctors had to deal with bodily pieces, sometimes just the victims' internal organs. To identify the victims, they had to get samples of these organs for DNA analysis.
The physicians continue to dissect the deformed bodies of men, women, and children while working nonstop and under intense emotional stress.
As rescue teams eventually make it to remote locations that were shut off by the landslide, they have recovered an increasing number of bodies from the catastrophe sites.
The significance of psychological counseling for survivors was emphasized by Health Minister Veena George since many of them have seen events that will haunt them for the rest of their lives.
(Input from various sources)
(Rehash/Priyanka Pandey/MSM)
