The landslide at Pettimudi near Munnar in Idukki occurred almost exactly one year after Kerala witnessed two major landslides. The state is also witnessing natural calamities in the month of August for the third year in a row.
The landslide at Pettumudi took place during the early hours of Friday morning. It was on August 8 last year, that the state witnessed major landslides at Puthumala in Wayanad and Kavalapara in Malappuram districts that claimed 17 and 59 lives respectively. The total death toll in calamities during August 2019 was 121.
Kerala witnessed major floods across the state in August 2018 that claimed around 500 lives. Idukki, which is a hilly district, witnessed 977 landslides in 2018, which was the highest among all districts in Kerala. Many of the landslides were near Munnar.
The Kerala State Disaster Management Authority and other agencies had identified many landslide spots across the state and shifted people to safer places ahead of this monsoon. But the Pettimudi area seemed to be not considered as landslide prone area so far.
Kerala Revenue Minister E Chandrasekhar and Power Minister M M Mani, who are natives of Idukki, said that families were residing at these areas over the last many decades and so far there were no reports of any threats in this region.