Kerala landslides: Indian expats in UAE hope against hope as several loved ones still missing

Dubai: Some Indian expats in the UAE are hoping against hope as their loved ones remain missing after the devastating landslides in Kerala on Tuesday, one of the worst natural calamities the state has ever witnessed.

Two landslides triggered by intense rainfall in Wayanad district have left at least 295 dead and more than 200 injured. While around 1,500 survivors were rescued, some 180 people are still missing, according to local media reports on Thursday evening.

The devastation has left many among the one-million strong Keralite expats here in turmoil. Those with relatives and friends among the victims are either mourning their loss or clinging to the faint hope of rescuing them from the slush and debris, even as reports indicate that the chances of finding survivors are diminishing.

Rabiyathul Abadiyya’s WhatsApp profile photo is now black. She has found it difficult to sleep and continue her routine life in Ajman since the tragedy.

“I am devastated after seeing videos of body parts being retrieved. There has been no news about my cousin’s family and some of my friends,” the 24-year-old homemaker told Gulf News on Thursday.

Rabiyathul’s mother’s elder sister’s daughter Jessy, her husband, three kids, and parents-in-law have disappeared after their house was flattened.

Waiting for a miracle

“They had previously survived the 2018 floods by staying in our ancestral home. After that, they reconstructed their house. Now, there is no sign that the house even existed,” said Rabiyathul.

“I lost my father days after my birth, and my mother left me after remarrying two years later. I was raised by my grandmother, aunts, and uncles. I grew up with my cousins, including Jessy. I am hoping against hope to see her and her family alive. For an orphan like me, extended family members are my own family.”

She has been anxiously awaiting news about them and her friends — Priya and Noorjahan. “What is more painful is the lack of information when we are far away. Nobody knows anything about them. Only a miracle can save them,” said Rabiyathul.

Seeking closure

While she still holds hope, Shajahan Kuttiyath, another expat whose extended family members and friends were among the deceased and the missing, said his hopes have waned for those missing after the armed forces involved in rescue operations stated that there was no more chance of finding anyone alive.

“I am receiving more painful news. Three or four bodies of my relatives who were missing were recovered today. One of my friends’ body was retrieved, but another, my best friend, is still missing.”

He said many bodies were unrecognisable. “It is difficult for us to have closure until we get the bodies identified officially,” Shajahan added.

DNA test

Another expat, Ajmal TS, said a body believed to be that of one of the four extended family members, who had been missing, was recovered on Thursday. “It was in a very bad state. We still can’t confirm it is her. We are waiting for the DNA test.”

More aid

Meanwhile, VPS Lakeshore Hospital in Kerala, under the Abu Dhabi-headquartered VPS Healthcare, offered medical aid worth Rs1 crore (around Dh439,000) for the survivors. This was announced after a request from the Kerala Medical Services Corporation, the group said.

Earlier on Wednesday, several other Indian business groups based in the UAE pledged millions of dirhams to support relief and rehabilitation efforts in Wayanad.