Wayanad landslides: How a 40-day-old baby, her six-year-old brother survived

Forty-day-old Anara and her six-year-old brother Hayan survived the deadly Wayanad landslides, as their home was swept away in the floods.

A spark of hope emerged from the deadly Wayanad landslides in Kerala that took place on Tuesday, as a 40-day-old baby and her six-year-old brother survived the natural disaster which destroyed their home, reported Onmanorama.

An aerial view of the damage caused by the Wayanad landslides, where people are being rescued by the armed forces (AFP)

Anara and Muhammed Hayan managed to survive, while six of their family members were swept away in the floods. Their mother Tanzeera had clung to the terrace of a nearby house in order to save baby Anara.

As she slipped under flood waters, Tanzeera managed to hold onto the baby's arm, which was injured in the incident. Six-year-old Hayan was carried 100 meters away from them by the surging waters. He was saved by rescue workers when they found him hanging on a wire by a well.

Their mother Tanzeera was glad to be united with her two children, but had to deal with the shocking loss of her mother Amina and grandmother Pathumma.

The landslides in Wayanad were triggered by heavy rain between July 29 and 30, recording 572 mm of rain in 24 hours. The consequent flooding and surge of rivers, has claimed upto 308 lives, as rescue operations continue.

The calamity has been the biggest natural disaster to affect the state of Kerala since the floods in 2018 which lead to the loss of over 500 people.

Climate scientists have said that such severe landslides have occurred in the area due to the warming of the Arabian sea, environmentally damaging activities like mining and a loss of green cover, making the region vulnerable to such events.

In the wake of the landslides, the Indian armed forces, National Disaster Response Force, State Disaster Response Force and Coast Guard, have been working towards clearing debris, building bridges and rescuing people.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has promised a compensation of ₹2 lakhs to families of those who have died in the landslides. A Mental Health Disaster Management Team has also been formed by the state to provide psychosocial support to the survivors.