One of the deadliest natural disasters in Kerala's history, killing at least 254 people in Wayanad district on 30 July 2024.
Key Facts
- Fatalities
- 254 people
- Injuries
- 397 people
- Missing
- 118 people
- Villages affected
- Mundakkai, Chooralmala, Vellarimala, Punjirimattom
- Date
- 30 July 2024, early hours
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
Exceptionally heavy rainfall saturated hillsides in Wayanad district, triggering their collapse. Contributing factors identified by analysts include deforestation, seismic sensitivity of the terrain, poor building construction practices, and long-term environmental changes linked to global warming.
In the early hours of 30 July 2024, a series of landslides struck the villages of Punjirimattom, Mundakkai, Chooralmala, and Vellarimala in Meppadi panchayat, Vythiri taluk, Wayanad district, Kerala, burying homes and infrastructure under collapsed hillside material.
The disaster resulted in at least 254 deaths, 397 injuries, and 118 people reported missing, making it one of the deadliest events in Kerala's recorded history. A large-scale rescue operation was launched involving the armed forces, NDRF, fire and rescue services, forest and wildlife authorities, and civilian volunteers.
Human Cost
Each dot represents approximately 10,000 deaths. Total estimated: 254 (other)