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'Saw sister's house being washed away': Wayanad victims share tragic stories of loss
Wayanad landslides: Per reports, at least 25 children as among those who died.
Over 250 people have died and scores are missing after landslides hit Wayanad earlier this week. The disaster has wiped out houses, vehicles and families. Many are still searching for the bodies of their family members and are haunted by sordid memories.
An elderly woman named Sujata said she and her grandchild spent the night next to a wild tusker.
"We barely escaped from our toppling house. We ran to a nearby hill at the edge of the forest. Once we reached there, we realised that we were standing next to a tusker," she told PTI.
She told the elephant not to attack them because they had lost everything.
"Told him (the elephant) that we lost everything and asked him not to attack us. We spent the entire night next to him," she added.
Also read: 'Felt the same when my father died': Rahul Gandhi on Wayanad tragedy
Sirajudeen and his family saw boulders and trees crushing everything they had. The autorickshaw, their means of livelihood, was destroyed.
Ganesh, a resident of Chooralmala who works as a security guard, said they could feel the house shaking before the landslide struck. They could also smell uprooted vegetation and wet earth.
"As I reached home, I saw muddy water and woke up my wife who was sleeping. I didn't waste a single second. We left the house and went to a nearby hilltop," the grey-haired man said. He lost his sister, her husband, her sister's son and daughter-in-law, as well as her sister's grandchildren.
"As the water rose, we ran to the hilltop. We saw my sister's house being washed away in the first landslide. The second landslide took away my house too," he said.
The agency found a man looking for his missing daughter.
"My youngest daughter is missing. Unless I can identify her, I will not believe that she is gone. I will consider that she has gone to some faraway place for higher studies," he said, breaking down.
His 14-year-old daughter Anamika was staying at her grandmother's house when the incident took place. Her father helplessly saw his mother's house washed away.
Per reports, over 25 children as among those who died.
The death toll is expected to rise.
With inputs from PTI
