Wayanad Landslide: How 18-Year-Old Boy Saved Two Families From Tragedy

(MENAFN- AsiaNet News) Wayanad: During the devastating landslide in Chooralmala, Muhammad Sinan, a courageous 18-year-old, sprang into action, rescuing his family and neighbors from the rising mud and debris. Despite his heroic efforts, the family tragically lost three loved ones, including a pregnant relative who lived next door, in the calamity.

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Basheer's house was located behind the Chooralmala junction. On the night of the disaster, despite heavy rainfall, the family had gone to sleep with the hope that no danger would occur. Basheer, a PWD employee, says that it's a miracle or divine intervention that they escaped alive from the landslide that hit in the middle of the night.

Basheer recounted the terrifying moment when the floodwaters struck, saying, "I was fast asleep when the water surged in, filling our home in an instant and rising to the ceiling. Clinging to the fan was my only hope for survival. My wife desperately grabbed onto my mundu as we were tossed around like rag dolls in the turbulent water. Our house was utterly destroyed. I'm still haunted by the loss of my mother, grandmother, and pregnant sister, who were in the neighboring house. Despite my frantic search, I couldn't find any of them."

"I drank a lot of muddy water," said Sufi, Bashee's wife.

"I can only hear the sound now. When I woke up, there was only a river of mud in front of me. I couldn't sleep. The laughter of my father and mother and the muddy river are etched in my mind. It was only because of my son's courage that we were saved," Sufi said.

Sinan, a skilled swimmer and diver, who ironically honed his swimming skills in the very river that unleashed the disaster, is currently training to join the Fire Force. When the calamity struck, his bravery and swimming expertise proved invaluable. Sinan single-handedly rescued his family members trapped inside their rooms and also came to the aid of a neighboring woman and child clinging to their ceiling. He instructed them to move to the terrace, ensuring their safety. And later, he safely moved this family as well. Something gave him the courage to do so, and that is why they did not lose their lives.

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