Tremors and loud sounds in Wayanad caused panic, but authorities clarified it was post-landslide activity, not an earthquake.
Landslide-hit Wayanad update: Tremors accompanied by a loud sound caused panic in several villages in Wayanad on Friday morning, just 11 days after the district experienced its deadliest landslides. The authorities later clarified that the tremors were a post-landslide activity and nothing to worry about. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to visit Wayanad on Saturday to assess the damage caused by the landslides.
The sound, described as "scary" by residents, was heard twice within a minute around 10 a.m. It was audible not only in the landslide-hit areas of Mundakkai and Chooralmala but also in parts of neighboring Kozhikode, Malappuram, and Palakkad districts. Relief workers in the affected areas also reported feeling the tremors.
While no injuries were reported, several villagers as far as 20 km from the landslide-affected sites said their window panes developed cracks. Many residents felt the ground moving and lost their balance for a few moments. People living in villages 20 km away from Mundakkai and Chooralmala rushed out of their homes, fearing another disaster.
In response to the tremors, the district administration declared a holiday for schools in the area and sent students back home. Elected representatives, revenue officials, and disaster management teams visited the villages to assess the situation.
The National Seismological Centre later clarified that the tremors were a post-landslide activity and not an earthquake. However, many residents were reluctant to return to their homes, fearing a repeat of the recent landslides that had devastated neighboring villages, leaving over 400 dead and 130 missing.
O.P. Mishra, Director of the National Centre for Seismology, explained on a news channel that the tremors were caused by the shifting of the land mass on the surface, not by an earthquake. "The land mass gets weakened after landslides, causing it to shift and create a rumbling sound. There is nothing to worry about because there is no record of earthquakes in that zone till today," he said.
Despite these reassurances, residents had already rushed out of their homes, fearing a seismic activity or another landslide. Members of a fire and rescue team from Ernakulam, who were searching for bodies in Mundakkai, told reporters that they felt the tremors and heard the sound. They were asked to immediately vacate the area and return to the base camp.
Wayanad district collector D.R. Meghashree said the authorities began shifting residents to relief camps soon after the incident and would assess the situation before allowing them to return to their homes. The precautionary measures aim to ensure the safety and well-being of the residents amidst the ongoing recovery efforts following the devastating landslides.
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