Wayanad landslide: Death toll rises to 3; Kerala orders intensified rescue operations

Wayanad Landslide: Three people were killed after a landslide struck the Kalladi tunnel construction site on Tuesday in Meppadi grama panchayat of Keralam's Wayanad district, officials said.

Following the incident, Kerala Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala directed the State Fire and Rescue Services Chief and the Wayanad District Police Chief to intensify rescue operations in the affected area.

Muraleedharan said hospitals across Wayanad had been instructed to provide treatment to the injured workers, most of whom were from outside Kerala. Ambulance services have also been deployed at the site.

"Two deaths are confirmed. After the road is cleared, the rescue operation will be completed. We have directed all hospitals in Wayanad to provide treatment to the labourers who were from outside Kerala. The preliminary report suggests there were no local residents affected in the incident," the minister said.

Eight injured workers — Hira Kumar (32), Dileep (19), Suraj Yadav (25), Sanjay Thakur (35), Rajneesh (27), Tanmay Ghosh (28), Koopamal (Jaya) (37) and Kunju (39) — were rescued from the landslide site and shifted to Meppadi WIMS Hospital for treatment.

The Kerala Chief Minister also mentioned that an additional 7 people remain missing.

Officials said local residents rescued three persons from the site, where workers associated with the tunnel project were staying.

Apart from that, a few vehicles that transport tunnel employees were damaged in the landslide.

Landslide hits Wayanad

Police and National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) personnel have also been deployed for the rescue operation. Local media reports said that at least 30 people could be trapped inside.

The work for Anakkompoyil-Meppadi started last year, connecting Malappuram and Wayanad districts.

Residents said that large earth-moving machines will be required to remove the soil and start the search operation.

The authority said that the work on the tunnel project had been suspended since Monday.

The people injured in the incident were moving around the work site when the debris slid down, KSDMA officials said.

What Did Kerala CM Say?

Chief Minister and Congress leader VD Satheesan, speaking to reporters in Thiruvananthapuram said that the contractors had been told much in advance by the Public Works Department Minister P K Basheer and the District Collector to remove the huge quantity of mud accumulated in the area.

"However, the contractors did not abide by the directions," the CM said after reviewing the situation with officials of the Kerala State Disaster Management Authority (KSDMA) at their office.

"It is an unfortunate incident. Rescue efforts are going on," he added.

Responding to a question from reporters, Satheesan said that non-issuance of an appropriate weather alert was not the reason for the landslide, and it was caused due to the mud not being removed in time as directed by the authorities.

He said that necessary rescue forces are reaching the area and the police as well as fire and rescue personnel were already deployed at the site.

Red Alert Issued in Wayanad

A red alert was issued by the IMD on Tuesday in Kerala's Wayanad district, where very heavy rainfall was received in Mananthavady and Vythiri areas during the day.

The alert was issued at 12.30 pm after the landslide at the Kalladi tunnel project site in Wayanad at around 11 am.

A red alert was also sounded in the neighbouring Kozhikode district by the India Meteorological Department (IMD), while orange alerts were issued in the Kozhikode, Kannur and Kasaragod districts of the state.

2024 Wayanad landslide

The hill district of Wayanad has a long history of landslides and other natural disasters during the monsoon season. In 2024, a major landslide hit Punjirimattom, Mundakkai, Chooralmala, and Vellarimala villages in Meppadi panchayat of Wayanad, in which 254 people were killed and 397 were injured. A total of 118 people also went missing after the landslide in the early hours of 30 July and are believed to have been buried alive in the debris.