Sunday 08 / September / 2024
Muscat: Indian expatriates from the south Indian state of Kerala are engulfed in grief and sorrow following the devastating landslides in the Wayanad district on Tuesday morning that has claimed over 150 lives so far.
The death toll continues to rise as search and rescue operations intensify. Authorities report that many are still missing, and the number of casualties is expected to increase.
Numerous relief teams have been deployed to evacuate the injured and search for the missing.
Among the grieving expatriates in Oman are those who have lost loved ones in the disaster.
The landslides struck early on Tuesday, July 30, 2024, hitting mainly the hilly areas of Meppadi panchayat.
Villages including Mundakkai, Chooralmala, Attamala, and Noolpuzha in Wayanad district were severely affected.
The catastrophe occurred while many residents were asleep, wiping out entire areas in what is considered the worst disaster to hit Kerala since the tragic floods of 2018.
Asharaf, a 27-year-old expatriate from Noolpuzha who has been working in Oman for the past five years, was heartbroken.
He said: “While many died, those who survived have lost everything. The process of rebuilding will take a very long time as hundreds of families have to start their lives from scratch.”
Basheer, another expat from Wayanad, expressed his sorrow upon hearing the news of the landslides.
He said: “Some homes of my relatives were buried under debris while others were filled with raging floodwaters displaced by rock and soil. Many were trapped in the floodwaters after escaping the initial impact of the landslides.”
He and his friends are closely monitoring the situation through television and social media updates.
Wayanad, known for its lush tea plantations, regularly experiences floods during the monsoon season when torrential rains persist for days. The incessant rainfall has resulted in 164 confirmed deaths, with hundreds still missing.
The Indian community in Oman stands in solidarity with their fellow Keralites.
