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Thiruvananthapuram, Oct 26 (IANS) A man was killed and his wife seriously injured after a landslide buried a house in Adimali in Kerala’s Idukki district, prompting emergency teams and local residents to carry out an arduous seven-hour rescue operation.
The deceased has been identified as Biju, who was trapped inside his house along with his wife Sandhya when a part of the hill behind their house collapsed near the national highway at around 10.30 pm on Saturday night.
The landslide was so powerful that the couple’s house was completely buried and they were buried under concrete debris. Fire and rescue services and National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams, with the assistance of local residents, immediately began rescue efforts despite heavy rains and unstable terrain.
The couple were found trapped between large concrete beams, parts of collapsed walls and their bed and wardrobe, making it extremely difficult for rescue workers to reach them.
JCB machines were pressed into service to remove layers of soil and debris from the site. After hours of hard work both of them were finally pulled out of the debris.
However, Biju died soon after being rescued. Sandhya, who was found alive but seriously injured, was taken to Rajagiri Hospital in Kochi, where she is undergoing treatment.
Rescue workers said there was a significant delay in reaching them safely due to the couple being under the beam. A fire service official involved in the operation said, “We had to remove the heavy concrete slabs one by one to prevent further collapse. The risk of mudslides was high.”
Local residents blamed the tragedy on the recent demolition of a nearby hill as part of a road widening project. He claimed that the excavation weakened the slope and led to landslides following continuous rains in the area. Officials said the timely evacuation of 22 nearby families shortly before the incident helped prevent a major disaster.
Many nearby houses were also damaged, with interiors filled with mud and debris and walls completely collapsed. Authorities have cordoned off the affected area and launched a detailed investigation into the cause of the landslide.
–IANS
AL/DPB