Kerala landslide survivors recount harrowing narrow escapes

As intense rescue efforts continue to save those trapped by the devastating landslide that hit the hilly Wayanad district of Kerala, survivors recount the harrowing experiences of their narrow escape just moments before the tragedy.

An elderly couple in Wayanad's landslide-hit area recounted their desperate bid for safety as the disaster struck in the dead of night.

The couple, whose house was destroyed in the landslide, fled their home at 11 pm after noticing muddy water flowing through their area.

They sought refuge on a nearby hill, but not before trying to save their neighbour, who, according to them, tragically refused to join them.

"We begged him to come with us, but he said he would join us by 1 am. He never came," the elderly man said, his voice cracking with emotion.

He added that they were waiting at the hilltop until morning and when they came back, the whole area was washed away.

Another woman was seen sobbing in front of the media, saying her relative called her and said they were running from their home carrying their toddler.

"She called me in the night and said they were trying to escape from the region. They had a toddler with them. After that, they were unreachable on the phone," she said.

That family is yet to be traced.

The toll in the landslides that struck on Tuesday has risen to 70, with rescue teams comprising the Army, Navy and NDRF racing against time to rescue hundreds of people feared trapped under the debris.

The Meppadi hospital near Mundakkai, overwhelmed with the injured, the deceased, and those searching for missing friends and relatives, presented a heartbreaking scene.