Kalathingal Noufal, a resident of Chooralmala who lost 11 close family members in the devastating Wayanad landslides of July 2019, was handed the keys to a new home on Monday. The tragedy had claimed the lives of his wife Sajna, their three children, his parents Kunjumoideen and Ayesha, his brother Monsoon, sister-in-law Muhsina, and their three children—all while Noufal was working in Muscat.
Recounting that unimaginable night, Noufal said, “When I heard about the landslide, my mind went completely dark. I didn’t know where to go or what to do.” His desperate search for his loved ones—from the debris of the landslide to relief camps and finally the mortuary—had moved many to tears.
The new 1,200 sq ft house, built on eight cents of land, was made possible by the Kerala Muslim Cultural Centre (KMCC) Muscat unit, which raised ₹32 lakh for the construction. Youth League leader Shihab Meppadi said the effort was led by KMCC member Kadiri Nazar, with IUML’s state committee granting approval for the initiative.
The house key was officially handed over to Noufal at a ceremony near the Meppadi–Muttil road, just two kilometres from town.
Earlier, the Kerala Nadvathul Mujahideen (KNM) had supported Noufal with ₹6 lakh to set up a restaurant-bakery in Chooralmala, named ‘July 30’—a tribute to the day that changed his life forever.