A devastating mudslide tore through Kumbanpara near Adimaly in Idukki, along the Kochi-Dhanushkodi National Highway, on Saturday night (October 25, 2025). The tragic event claimed the life of local resident Biju and left his wife, Sandhya, severely injured.
The calamity struck the Kumbanpara Laksham Veedu colony around 8 p.m. Relentless heavy rains over several days had reportedly destabilized the region’s terrain, prompting district authorities to evacuate numerous residents to local relief camps.
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The couple, Biju and Sandhya, had briefly returned home from a relief camp to collect essential documents and valuables when the mudslide hit. Immediately, a massive rescue effort was launched, involving the Fire and Rescue Department, a National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) team, police personnel, and numerous dedicated volunteers.
Rescuers reported that their home was partially submerged and trapped by significant mounds of waterlogged mud.
Despite the devastation, emergency teams and local volunteers detected faint signs of life beneath the wreckage of the collapsed concrete roof. They swiftly deployed earthmovers to clear the debris and utilized a pneumatic drill to meticulously break through the concrete, striving to free the trapped family.
Sandhya was successfully extricated by emergency personnel around 9:45 p.m. and immediately transported to a hospital. The effort to reach Biju, however, was considerably more challenging. He was eventually rescued early Sunday morning, around 5 a.m. (October 26, 2025).
Upon retrieval, Biju displayed minimal signs of life and was tragically pronounced dead by doctors at a nearby hospital.
In the aftermath, local residents strongly asserted that extensive excavation work for the ongoing Kochi-Dhanushkodi National Highway construction was directly responsible for the mudslide. They harshly criticized contractors from the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) for what they described as a blatant disregard for public safety.
The government has since demanded an official report from the NHAI regarding the incident. The rescue operations were notably spearheaded by Water Resources Minister Rosy Augustine, Idukki MP Dean Kuriakose, and Idukki District Police Chief K.M. Sabu Mathew.
This tragedy follows another mudslide that occurred nearby on Friday (October 24, 2025), which had already led to significant traffic disruptions and diversions. Consequently, district authorities had already relocated residents from the affected area to a relief camp established at the Adimali Government School.