Wayanad landslides: 16 members of a family gone, only four bodies recovered

Wayanad: With the search for missing persons in the landslide-ravaged areas of Wayanad now in its sixth day, the personal nightmares of the affected people are becoming increasingly clear.

For Mansoor, a 42-year-old resident of Chooralmala, the July 30 landslide has brought unimaginable loss, as he struggles to come to terms with the scale of the tragedy.

In a heart-wrenching tale of devastation, Mansoor lost 16 members of his family, including his mother, wife, two children, sister, and 11 members of his sister-in-law's family.

The landslide swept away his entire world, leaving him alone and bereft.

"I'm left with nothing," Mansoor said with his eyes, red from lack of sleep and tears.

"My family, my home, everything is gone," he said.

Mansoor narrowly escaped death as he was away at a work-related event on the day of the incident.

With a heavy heart, he said, "I haven't found my daughter's body yet." "We've found four bodies: my wife, son, sister, and my mom. I still haven't found my daughter. I wasn't there when the incident happened because I was out for work. I have nothing left now. I'm currently staying with my brother," Mansoor said.

Nasir, the brother of Mansoor, described the devastating impact of the recent tragedy on their family.

This morning, they identified the remains of their mother, bringing the total number of recovered bodies to four. Twelve family members remain unaccounted for.

"I used to live in this area but had moved," Nasir said.

"My younger brother and his family were staying in our family home, along with my mom and sister. He wasn't there when the incident happened, so he is safe," he said.

He said that the residents of the area, including his brother's family, did not receive any warning from the authorities prior to the incident.

"When the water level was rising, I told them to come to my place. They said they were safe, but it ended in tragedy. Now everything is gone. The whole area is wiped out. My brother has lost everyone," Nasir said.

Search operations are ongoing in the worst-affected regions of Mundakkai, Punchirimattam, and Chooralmala, with the task force focusing on seven key points for inspection.

Meanwhile, radar-based search operations, led by the army, have commenced to locate people trapped beneath the soil.