A huge sound woke Mr Pranjeesh. He rushed outside his house to check what it was.
But it was too late.
A massive landslide slammed into his house and took out similar dwellings in the area.
Pretty soon water and boulders came tumbling down, sweeping or burying people to their deaths as they slept.
Mr Pranjeesh told the Press Trust of India that he dashed to a nearby forest to escape nature’s fury.
But he lost three members of his family in the four landslides that struck the hamlet of Mundakkai in Kerala’s Wayanad district at around 2am on Tuesday.
The landslides, triggered by torrential rains, also devastated other hamlets and towns in the area such as Chooralmala, Attamala and Noolpuzha, killing at least 167 people, including women and children.
It was the worst disaster in the state since the deadly floods of 2018.
Flattened buildings, mud-filled potholes and cracked land dotted with huge boulders – these were the scenes at Mundakkai junction and nearby Chooralmala town on Wednesday.
According to unofficial figures, there were around 500 houses in Mundakkai, but only 49 are left.
Before the massive landslides hit the hill district, the places were nerve centres of activities for people living in the area. They were full of shops and concrete structures.
Known for its scenic interiors and picturesque waterfalls, Chooralmala was a sought-after tourist destination. Soochippara waterfalls, Vellolippara and Seetha Lake were some of the spots that attracted tourists to the area.
With mounds of mud and debris and giant boulders brought down by floodwaters from the hilltop, it was hard for anyone to believe that the place was a busy town until a day before.
People could be seen frantically searching for the dead and injured amid the damaged structures and beneath the heaps of debris, reported Reuters.
The roofs of buildings were flattened and damaged vehicles were spotted stuck to boulders in many areas.
“We have lost everything... everyone... Nothing is left for us here,” an elderly man could be heard whispering amid his search in Mundakkai. He apparently lost his family members and was desperately searching for them.
Many people appeared to be walking with uncertainty over whether their loved ones lay buried beneath the ground they were treading on.
“Mundakkai is now wiped out from the map of Wayanad. Nothing is left here. You can see... there is nothing other than mud and boulders here. We could not even walk properly due to this thick mud... Then how do we search for our beloved ones buried beneath the ground?” another man asked with teary eyes.
Experts said the area had received heavy rain in the last two weeks that softened the soil. Extremely heavy rainfall on Monday then triggered the landslides.
Nearly 1,600 people were rescued from the hillside villages and tea and cardamom estates, authorities said on Wednesday. More than 8,000 people were being sheltered in camps across the district.
Various rescue agencies resumed their operations early on Thursday to trace people suspected to be trapped in the tragedy, which has left 186 injured and scores missing.
Fears of mounting fatalities have been sparked by suspicions that several people may still be trapped under the debris. But hopes of finding survivors have begun to fade as rescuers have to work through slush and rocks.
Steady rain and the rising water level in a local river have hampered the rescue, with a temporary bridge built to connect the worst affected area of Mundakkai being washed away.
Wayanad’s district administrator said people had been asked on Wednesday to shift to camps “as soon as possible as there is a danger”.
Rescuers found 24 bodies and six body parts on Wednesday and were not hopeful of finding any survivors more than 36 hours after the tragedy, one official in Chooralmala said.
The landslides were mostly on the upper slopes of hills which then cascaded to the valley below, state police officer M.R. Ajith Kumar told Reuters.
Nearly 350 of the 400 registered houses in the affected region have been damaged, Asianet reported, citing district officials.
The Indian Navy said its disaster relief team reached the area on Tuesday night and search-and-rescue helicopters were deployed early on Wednesday, but adverse weather conditions due to “incessant rains” posed challenges.
