A 10-year-old boy from Madikeri, R Lohith, tragically lost his life in a landslide in Meppadi, Wayanad, while visiting his grandparents during a school break caused by heavy rains in Karnataka. The disaster also claimed the lives of his grandparents, bringing the Karnataka toll in the landslide to nine. Lohith was a class IV student at Guhya Higher Primary School in Kodagu district. His parents, Ravi and Kavita, are daily laborers in Guhya.
Many families from Mysuru, Mandya, and Chamarajangara districts migrate to Wayanad for work as farmhands or laborers. Early estimates indicate that around 40 people from Karnataka resided in Meppadi and nearby villages affected by the landslides, with approximately 30 now in relief camps.
In another tragic case, 75-year-old Mahadevamma from Ukkalagere in T Narasipura, Mysuru district, survived the landslide but lost two family members, with six others still missing. Her family lived in Chooralmala near Wayanad. Rescue teams have yet to determine the whereabouts of her missing relatives.
The devastating landslides have highlighted the plight of migrant workers and their families, who often live in vulnerable areas. Relief efforts are ongoing to support those affected and to locate the missing individuals.