Latest news with #KalathingalNoufal
News18
26-07-2025
- General
- News18
Wayanad Man Lost 11 Family Members In Landslide. Now, He Runs A Restaurant Named ‘July 30'
Kalathingal Noufal lost 11 family members in the Wayanad landslides on July 30, 2024. A year later, he rebuilt his life, opened a restaurant named 'July 30'. The catastrophic landslides that struck Kerala's Wayanad on July 30, 2024, wiped out 11 members of Kalathingal Noufal's family including his wife and three children. The accident was life-changing for him. Now a year later, his story is one of grit, determination and massive support. Despite suffering such a huge loss, Naufal did not give up. He pulled himself together and decided to rebuild his life. Today, the 43-year-old has found a new partner, started a restaurant — named 'July 30' — and got a new house, reported Indian Express. Naufal was living in Mundakkai, the village in Wayanad that was totally wiped out in the landslides that claimed 298 lives, washed away houses and buildings. Indian Express. He then decided to move his life forward and fulfil the dream of his late wife, Sajna, to settle in Kerala by starting a restaurant. Initially, he was living in a temporary house. He also refused to meet counselors, as he felt that reliving the past every time would only increase his pain. He tried to heal his wounds on his own. During that time, Kerala Nadvathul Mujahideen (KNM), a Muslim socio-religious organisation, gave him a financial aid of Rs 7 lakh. Deciding to carry forward the wife's dream, he started a restaurant-cum-bakery, which he named 'July 30' in memory of the day that upended his life. 'When I named the restaurant 'July 30', many people criticised me. But everyone who goes to the affected areas should recall that day, the tragedy and the loss. That will make people humble and bring them closer to God," he told the news outlet. Later, the Oman-based Kerala Muslim Cultural Center (KMCC) bought land for him and built a new house, the keys of which were handed over to him recently. After this, Naufal also married Safna, making a new beginning. view comments First Published: Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Indian Express
25-07-2025
- General
- Indian Express
Restaurant named July 30, new house: Wayanad man who lost 11 of family in landslide rebuilds life
On July 30 last year, the catastrophic Wayanad landslides wiped out 11 members of his family, including his wife and three children. But Kalathingal Noufal decided to rebuild his life, brick by brick. A year later, Noufal's story is one of grit, determination and massive community support. The 43-year-old has found a new partner in life, started a restaurant — named 'July 30' — and got a new house. Noufal lived at Mundakkai, the village in Kerala's Wayanad district that was totally wiped out in the landslides that claimed 298 lives, washed away houses and buildings, and buried whole families. On the day of the tragedy, Noufal was in Oman, where he worked as a chef. The next day, he flew back home, only to find just rubble where his house once stood. He soon learnt that his wife, parents and other close relatives were among 11 of his family to have died in the landslides. 'I had to go through the trauma of seeing their bodies. Of the 11, I could only identify five. The rest were identified through DNA tests,' he said. A few days after the tragedy, he said, 'I made the decision that I should look forward. I realised that my lost life, my family and belongings will never come back. While lodged in a temporary building, I decided not to dwell on the tragedy and the loss.' While counsellors had been deputed to help survivors deal with the trauma, Noufal said he told them not to visit him. 'Because every such session will only bring back those haunting memories. I tried to heal myself.' Not just his family, a large number of residents of his village died in the landslides. He said all this made him feel like going back to Oman, but he decided to stay back until the results of all the DNA tests were released. Then, the Kerala Nadvathul Mujahideen — a Muslim socio-religious organisation — came forward with help. 'The KNM offered me Rs 7 lakh to find a livelihood. It was my wife Sajna's dream that I should come back to Kerala and settle here by starting a restaurant,' he said. Deciding to carry forward the wife's dream, he started a restaurant-cum-bakery, which he named 'July 30' in memory of the day that upended his life, in Wayanad's Meppadi town on the road leading to the tragedy-hit villages. 'When I named the restaurant 'July 30', many people criticised me. But everyone who goes to the affected areas should recall that day, the tragedy and the loss. That will make people humble and bring them closer to God,' he said. Months after the tragedy, the Oman chapter of the Kerala Muslim Cultural Centre (KMCC), an expatriate charity organisation founded by the Indian Union Muslim League, bought land and started constructing a new house for Noufal at Moopainadu village in Wayanad. Last month, the KMCC handed over the key of the new house to Noufal. Last month, Noufal ushered in another new beginning by getting married to Safna. He said, 'A lot of people I did not know have helped me get my life back on track. I have never seen most of those benefactors. This happens only in Kerala. Now, people say that my life, the way I put behind those traumatic days, is a lesson for those who lost everything in the tragedy.'
