One of the first informers of landslide in Wayanad dies before rescuers reach her

PTI, Aug 5, 2024, 8:33 AM IST

Wayanad: Neethu Jojo, a woman staff of a private hospital in Wayanad, was probably one of the first to alert the emergency services about the devastating landslide that hit this district on July 30, but lost her life before rescuers could reach her.

A recording of her call seeking help for herself and a couple of other families who were trapped in her house after the first wave of the devastating landslide hit Chooralmala here, has gone viral.

According to the recording, she narrates the details of the horror they faced in the early morning of July 30 when the first wave of landslide hit her house.

In her distress call, she was heard saying that the water was flowing inside her house, which was surrounded by debris including cars swept away in the landslide.

In the voice recording she says that five to six families, who used to live near her house, have escaped from nature’s fury and sought refuge at her place which was comparatively safer.

Neethu was apparently speaking to a staff member of Dr Moopen’s Medical College who sought all the details and assured that help was on the way.

She was probably one of the first informers of the incident but could not be saved unfortunately and her body was found days later.

In the call recording she can be heard saying she was making panic calls to everyone she knew.

“There is a landslide at Chooralmala. I live behind the school here. Can you please send someone to help us?” she was heard saying over the phone.

One of the first calls Neethu made was to Dr. Shanavas Palliyal, the DGM of Dr. Moopen’s Medical College, where she was working as an office staff of the nursing college.

“She sounded very distressed and was calling for help. I immediately informed the police and our ambulance from the hospital left for Chooralmala. The road was blocked due to uprooted trees.

“Our ambulance driver and another staff member were regularly in contact with her but after the second wave of landslide, the connection was lost,” Palliyal told PTI.

The ambulances and the first responders were unable to reach Neethu as the Chooralmala bridge had washed away.

However, her husband Jojo, their toddler and Jojo’s mother survived the landslide.

“It looks like, after the first landslide, she and other neighbours got trapped in a room and were unable to escape before the next one,” Palliyal said.

Four staff members of the hospital, including Neethu, lost their lives in the devastating landslip that struck Mundakkai and Chooralmala.

The side of the house in which she and the others were trapped was destroyed in the landslide.

Around three bodies were found from that region while Neethu’s body was recovered from else where.