In Kerala's tourist town Wayanad, the once tranquil villages of Mundakkai and Chooralmala, surrounded by lush forests, got completely washed away in the early hours of July 30.

Two landslides within a gap of a few hours, triggered by incessant rain in the state, claimed over 200 lives, washed away more than 2,000 homes. One of its worst natural calamities after the deadly 2018 floods that killed 500, was staring Kerala in the face.

But was it possible to avert a tragedy of this level? We get to the bottom of it...

Video Producer: Aparna Singh

Video Editor: Abhishek Sharma