The first landslide struck either Punjirimattom or the village of Mundakkai at around 01:00 IST, which swept away both villages, followed by a second landslide to the north in nearby Chooralmala at around 04:10. The second landslide diverted the Iruvazhinji River, resulting in flash floods and washing away the Chooralmala village. Approximately 400 families were stranded in Mundakkai and Attamala following the collapse of the only bridge connecting the settlements and Chooramala. Overall, six villages, namely Punjirimattom, Meppadi, Mundakkai, Attamala, Chooralmala, and Kunhome, were affected by the landslides. The landslides killed 422 and injured over 273, making them the deadliest landslides in Kerala’s history; Most victims were workers on tea and cardamom estates located in the region and were likely asleep in their makeshift tents when the landslides struck. More than 131 people were left unaccounted for. At least five children have lost both their parents, while six others lost either their father or mother in the landslides. In Chooralmala, survivors mourned the loss of their fellow villagers, with one villager stating that up to 90% of the people he knew in the village had perished.[20] Muddy water and debris flowed and merged with the Chaliyar River, from which more than 200 bodies were found. At least 242 laborers from West Bengal, 55 workers from Assam, 30 from Madhya Pradesh, and 44 from Jharkhand were among those affected. At least one person from Odisha and four from Bihar are missing.