Kerala floods 2026: Idukki mudslide survivor recalls moments before disaster
A survivor of a devastating mudslide in Idukki, Kerala, recounts the harrowing experience of escaping his home with his family during torrential rains. The disaster resulted in the total loss of the family's property and life savings.
Why it matters
The story underscores the human impact of extreme weather events and the increasing vulnerability of communities to climate-related disasters.
For Charukallel Thankaraj, a resident of Chemmannu, under the Elappara panchayat in Kerala’s Idukki, and his family, it had been an ordinary night sleeping in their house on their five-cent plot. Little did they know that they would be soon rendered homeless and have a narrow escape from a massive mudslide that struck their house around 4:45 a.m. on Saturday (August 1, 2026).
As torrential rain lashed the State that morning, the 65-year-old man from Odichukuthy Valavu near Chemmannu risked his life to save his family. In the attempt, he was trapped under the mud and debris of his home, before being rescued.
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