Kerala lensman dies capturing landslip

By Our Staff Reporter

KOCHI, JULY 10. Mr. Victor George, one of the most celebrated news photojournalists of Kerala, died while capturing a landslip in the mountainous Idukki district on Monday. His body has not yet been found, but the camera he had used to click the landslip was retrieved by midday on Tuesday.

The chief photographer of the Malayala Manorama at Kottayam, George (45) had gone on assignment to cover the landslip on the Velliani hill at Udumbannoor, 80 km. from Kochi. In a massive pre-dawn landslip, many houses were either washed off or severely damaged and several acres of cropland were destroyed.

Mr. George had reached the landslip-wrecked area in the morning and had shot several pictures of the devastation. Around 1 p.m. a second massive landslip occurred close to the place where the first had struck. Mr. George, who wanted to capture on film the rage of the gushing mass of the earth and water, ignored the warnings given by people standing close to him. Even as he was clicking, the mass of rocks and water rolling down the hillside overtook him.

An eyewitness told The Hindu on Tuesday at Velliani that the photojournalist was thrown off from where he was taking pictures. There were a lot of people around - local rescue workers and onlookers. ``As the big noise of another `urul pottal' (Malayalam for landslip) came from the top of the hill, all the people standing in the huge gash created by the first landslip fled.'' Mr. George was advised to escape, but he went on clicking more pictures. A Fire Service official said he had earlier warned Mr. George to clear off the risky spot.

Mr. George had been reported `missing' by rescue workers and officials, but incessant rain hindered the search on Monday. The search resumed on Tuesday morning, but until late afternoon only one of the two cameras George had used could be retrieved.

He who has also worked in the Malayala Manorama bureau in Delhi, had received several State and national level photography awards. Recently, he had been building a photo portfolio of the monsoon rains in Kerala which he had intended to be brought out as a book. He is survived by his wife Lilly, a seven-year-old daughter and a two-year-old son.

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Section  : Southern States
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