After floods, underground sounds scare people in Wayanad, Kozhikode and Palakkad

Even as the people of Wayanad are slowly recovering from the devastating July 30 landslides which left 413 people dead and 152 still missing, there was tension and fear in certain areas of Wayanad, Palakkad, and Kozhikode after locals heard sounds coming from under the ground on Friday, though seismic experts have ruled out any cause for worry.

The sounds were heard at around 10.30 a.m. on Friday.

At Ambalavayal in Wayanad, villagers and school children felt the sound and tremors and ran out on to the roads.

Similar incidents were reported at Kuduerinji in Kozhikode district. These two places are located in a radius of 50 sq km.

Likewise in Palakkad district, a tremor was felt around the same time.

With the TV channels taking it up in a big way, the National Center for Seismology after their investigation into what happened ruled that it was not an earthquake and there was nothing to be concerned about.

The Kerala State Disaster Management Authority ruled out an earthquake after their preliminary studies and said they will study what happened in detail.

The Geological Survey of India officials also ruled out an earthquake.

A retired seismic expert pointed out that these could be just natural movements of the earth. There have been instances in the past when such a phenomenon happened in and around the area where a landslide had taken place.

Many residents in these areas have said they experienced the windows rattling.

"A sound was definitely heard and a few experts have done a preliminary study and have said there is nothing to be worried," said a Local Self Government official.

(With inputs from IANS)