Kerala Forest Officials Scaled A Steep Wayanad Hill To

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The Kerala forest department rescued six tribals, including four children, from a landslide-hit region in Wayanad.

In a brave effort, Kerala forest officials successfully rescued four young children and their parents, members of a tribal community, who were trapped in a cave after the Wayanad landslides.

Kerala forest

A team of four, headed by Kalpetta range forest officer K Hashis, saved a tribal family with four children aged one to four. The rescue operation took four and a half hours one way.

Who informed the news agency PTI about the family’s situation?

“The family belongs to the Paniya community of Wayanad and had been trapped in a cave on a hill above a deep gorge,” Hashis informed PTI.

He added that they discovered the mother and a four-year-old child searching for food for the other children and their father, who were stuck in the cave

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan commended the forest department for their courageous eight-hour mission, during which they trekked into the forested regions of the Western Ghats.

What did Pinarayi Vijayan highlight about Kerala in his statement?

Pinarayi Vijayan shared on X, “Six valuable lives were rescued from a remote tribal settlement after an exhausting 8-hour operation by our brave forest officials in the landslide-affected Wayanad. Their bravery shows that Kerala’s resilience shines the brightest in the darkest moments. Together in hope, we will rebuild and come back stronger.”

As the rainfall intensified, the forest department relocated most members of the tribal communities in Wayanad to safer locations.

Hashis mentioned that the tribal community primarily relied on forest resources and typically kept to themselves.

“However, it appears that the landslide and heavy rainfall prevented them from obtaining food,” he said.

The path to rescue the tribals was a treacherously steep incline, particularly during the heavy rainfall. The officers had to secure ropes to trees and rocks to ascend, describing the conditions as perilous.

He added, “The children were exhausted, so we fed them with the supplies we had brought. Eventually, after considerable persuasion, their father agreed to accompany us. We then strapped the children to our bodies and began the difficult trek back.”

The landslides that struck Wayanad district on Tuesday resulted in the devastation of roads, bridges, and other public infrastructure, leaving many individuals trapped in affected areas.

With a death toll of 308, these landslides have become the most severe natural disaster Kerala has encountered since the 2018 floods.