The mega rescue mission following the catastrophic landslides in Wayanad, Kerala, has revealed the extraordinary bravery of many ordinary citizens. Among them is an 18-member rescue group that spent a harrowing night deep in the forest with a landslide victim’s corpse found in the hazardous terrain below Soochippara waterfall where many victims' bodies were washed downstream.
“We have been active in the search and rescue mission since day one and have found more than 30 body parts,” says Abdul Majeed, leader of the Emergency Rescue Force (ERF) team that had to spend the night deep in the forest.
On August 5, Majeed and his team began their search operations early in the morning from the Munderi area in Malappuram district, accompanied by other teams including forest and police officials. In total, there were 40 personnel involved in the mission.
Initially leading a 14-member ERF team, Majeed explains how their group size increased. “When some body parts were found, other teams returned with them. But our team planned to expand the search to unexplored areas. Four volunteers from the Welfare Party insisted on joining us. We asked them to return, but they were determined to come along. Their lives also became our responsibility,” says Majeed, who is an ambulance driver, too.
The newly formed 18-member team reported their details to control rooms using walkie-talkies and ham radios. They decided to push beyond the previously searched areas, notifying authorities of their intentions. The authorities granted permission and assured them that necessary arrangements would be made if they discovered any bodies or body parts.
“We had no plans to stay in the forest, but we carried some survival equipment, anticipating possible difficulties in returning,” Majeed recounts. Their journey took them from the Malappuram border, across the Tamil Nadu border, and into Wayanad, reaching the base of Soochippara. There, they saw the Wayanad forest team, who had recovered a body and some body parts, awaiting airlifting.
After communicating with the forest team and obtaining a route map, Majeed’s group identified regions yet to be searched and continued uphill. By around 3:30 pm, they were planning to return when a distinct smell caught their attention. Following the odor, they found a portion of a leg protruding from beneath a rock. “We have recovered many individual body parts before, so we attempted to recover it. But then we discovered more body parts beneath the debris,” says Majeed.
The team worked tirelessly for almost four hours, removing debris to uncover the body of a woman, which was jammed between a huge tree and the debris. By then, darkness had fallen, and the team had to make a critical decision.
“We informed the control room about our find and requested airlifting of the corpse, but visibility issues made it nearly impossible. Locating us was also difficult,” Majeed explains. With no other option, the team decided to stay the night in the forest with the victim’s body.
"From the control room, the authorities asked if we had a safe place to stay. We were not familiar with that part of the forest, but we assured them that we would stay in a safe place. Eventually, the corpse was airlifted the next morning. The authorities also checked if any of us had any health issues, but we were all clear."