Swift Action By Fire and Rescue

On July 30, 2024, at 01:55 AM, the Kalpetta station received information about a landslide which had occurred around the Chooralmala-Mundakkai region. A rescue team from Kalpetta station was dispatched immediately. En route, they encountered a fallen tree blocking the road, which they cleared before reaching the affected area. Upon arrival, they found that the landslide had caused the river to flood the Vellarimala School area, trapping many people within the building. Following this, the Sulthan Bathery station was informed, and additional teams arrived to assist in the rescue operation.

The rescue efforts, which also included the local residents, commenced immediately. The team was working under the illuminance of an inflatable tower light when a second landslide occurred. The loud noise prompted locals to shout warnings, allowing the rescue team to escape from the oncoming mud, water, and rocks, miraculously avoiding injury. Realizing the extent of the damage, which affected most homes and other establishments in the Mundakkai and Chooralmala areas, the rescue team notified higher authorities and continued the rescue operation with additional personnel.

Senior officials coordinated the deployment of more rescue teams from other stations in Wayanad district and neighboring districts to safely evacuate those who were trapped under the debris. Due to the strong current in the river, access from Chooralmala to the opposite bank was impossible, so the rescue efforts focused on the Chooralmala side. The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) also joined the operation. Recognizing the urgency of crossing the river to reach Mundakkai, the team courageously crossed the river and set up a zip line bridge using ropes. This enabled them to begin evacuating people from Mundakkai. Many, including the elderly and infants, were rescued using rope rescue techniques.As the zip line bridge was timeconsuming and required significant effort, a temporary bridge was constructed using an extension ladder from a fire tender and bamboo log at a narrower part of the river. This bridge allowed more rescuers to reach the Mundakkai and Punchirimattom areas, where they continued to evacuate those trapped while safely relocating them to secure locations. Rescue personnel ensured the safety of those crossing the temporary bridge.

By then, military units and NDRF personnel had arrived and used the temporary bridge to carry out further rescue operations. The Fire and Rescue Department successfully evacuated approximately 800 people, including the elderly, children, women, and persons with disabilities, using the temporary bridge on the same day.
Fire and Rescue teams from all districts across the state, along with Civil Defense volunteers, were dispatched to Wayanad. A 13-member scuba diving team from Thiruvananthapuram, who were in Ernakulam for another program, also joined the rescue efforts directly from Ernakulam. The newly acquired mobile wireless base station vehicle from the Thiruvananthapuram region was deployed in Wayanad to establish an effective communication system. The communication system was set up by personnel from the Chacka station workshop, who were on special duty, facilitating coordination of the rescue operations.

The department’s Special Task Force and teams from the Water Rescue Academy also joined the rescue efforts. In the initial stages, when bringing in equipment like Hitachi JCB was impractical, search operations were carried out using hand tools such as pickaxes, shovels, and crowbars. The team led by the Sulthan Bathery Station Officer risked their lives to rescue a person trapped in deep mud. Searching in mud-filled areas, including wells and ponds near houses, was extremely challenging and increased the risk of accidents. Despite the dangers, the personnel worked with courage and presence of mind, speeding up the rescue operations.

Once equipment like Hitachi JCB became available, the search gained momentum. In high-risk areas, the search continued using this equipment while other personnel continued manual searches. Additional equipment needed for the search was sourced from various stations across the state.Each day, an average of 600 personnel from the Fire and Rescue Department were deployed for the rescue operations. The teams included the Special Task Force, the scuba diving team, other department personnel, and Civil Defense volunteers. To ensure the efficiency of the search operations, personnel were rotated with fresh teams from all districts in the state at regular intervals. Personnel from the Chacka station workshop, who had reached Wayanad, provided on-the-spot repairs for vehicles and equipment during the operations.

The timely and efficient actions of the Fire and Rescue Department were vital in the rescue operations. The construction of the zip line bridge on the first day, which facilitated the rescue of people, including infants, and the subsequent construction of a temporary bridge that allowed the evacuation of around 800 people, was a significant achievement. Rescue operations continued through the temporary bridge until the army completed the Bailey bridge. Additionally, several bodies recovered during the search were transported to the hospital via the same bridge. The tower light and other lights set up by the department provided illumination that allowed the rescue operations to continue until dawn on the first day.