Saturday, 28 September 2024
Saturday, 28 September 2024
Wayanad: Kerala’s worst disaster since 2018 floods
Kerala continues to count its dead from the landslides that struck Wayanad in the early hours of Tuesday. In the monsoon months, India has experienced multiple deadly landslides in areas as wide apart as Mizoram, Uttarakhand, Assam, Himachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Karnataka, Manipur and Arunachal Pradesh.
Cyclone Remal, the first major storm of the year, created havoc between May 24 and May 28, claiming at least 61 lives across India and Bangladesh. In Mizoram, 27 people died due to landslides and heavy rain.
Globally, landslides in places like China's Hunan province, Guatemala in Central America and Cox's Bazar in Bangladesh have also claimed multiple lives this year.
Here is a quick look at some of the deadliest mega landslides across the world in the last three months.
Ethiopia landslide kills over 250 people
Devastating landslides in southern Ethiopia on July 22 killed more than 250 people and the death toll could be potentially as high as 500, according to the UN. The Gofa Zone was hit hard by the landslides that have displaced thousands of people. Residents and volunteers were desperately digging through the mud in search of survivors. At present, the Ethiopian government is working on an evacuation plan for future landslides. The soil in southern Ethiopia has been saturated by seasonal rains, making the area more prone to landslides. Rains from April to early May caused flooding and mass displacement. The flooding and landslides occurred even as other parts of the country are facing severe drought, which has prompted traditional herding communities to explore alternative food production methods.
Nepal landslide sweeps away buses with 65 people
On July 12, two buses carrying 65 passengers were swept away by a landslide into the Trishuli River in Chitwan district, Nepal. The Kathmandu-bound Angel bus and Ganpati Deluxe bus were swept away by the river in spate. Only a few bodies were found. Monsoon season brings heavy rains to Nepal from June to September, leading to landslides in the Himalayan region.
Papua New Guinea landslide: Death toll in thousands?
A massive landslide struck remote villages in Papua New Guinea's Enga province on May 24, burying many homes and causing several deaths. The disaster, which occurred at 3 am, affected at least six villages. Local officials and the government have differing estimates on the death toll, with some figures as high as 2,000. According to the reports authorities have not yet figured out the specific cause of the landslide in Enga. However, landslides in the region happen due to an array of factors. The country's geographic location being the top-most reason as it exposes it to a number of calamities: including cyclones, earthquakes, tsunamis, landslides, droughts, floods and volcanic eruptions.
Scientists highlight need for landslide prediction
In the aftermath of the Wayanad landslides, in which rescue operations are still on and the death toll is still rising, Madhavan Rajeevan, former secretary of the Union earth sciences ministry, highlighted the need for better landslide prediction mechanisms.
"Heavy rainfall does not lead to landslides every time. We need a separate mechanism for landslide prediction. It is difficult but doable," Rajeevan told PTI.
He stressed that while weather agencies can predict heavy rainfall, predicting landslides requires considering soil texture, soil moisture, and slope.
"When a river is in spate, we shift people to safer places. We can do the same thing if there is heavy and continuous rainfall," he added.
Sreekumar, a disaster risk management expert at the Kerala Institute of Local Administration, also told PTI that rainfall above 120 mm for two to three days is enough to trigger landslides in Kerala’s fragile terrain.
