Picturesque hamlet to death field; Wayanad's Puthumala tragedy

KALPETTA: Puthumala, the picturesque hamlet replete with greenery was home to many plantation workers. Cloistered by a temple and a mosque nearby, the harmonious village often reverberates to the loud sound of the conch and the namaz prayers. No religious conflict has even been reported from the soil of Puthumala.

It took just one day to wipe out all the harmony and serenity of the village. On August 8, 2019, the heavy floods and landslides in the area took 17 lives from the hamlet while the temple and mosque that stood as a symbol of inclusivity were left to shreds. Five people who went missing in the floods of 2019 have not yet returned. The whereabouts of Hamza (58) in Muthirathodi, Avaran (62) in Pachakkad, Abu Bakar (62), Annaiah (54) in Puthumala Estate and Nabisa (74) remain a mystery. Despite knowing the harsh reality, some of the family members and friends of these missing people are still longing for their return.

With just one week remaining for the fifth anniversary of Puthumala disaster, yet another landslide swept the district on Tuesday leaving almost 40 people dead. So far, more than 40 bodies have been found, including those of infants. The death toll is likely to rise as the disaster took place at night. Locals admitted to seeing human corpses from the landslide-affected areas.