Four killed, seven missing in rain-triggered Wayanad landslide; havoc caught on tape

At least four persons were killed and seven others sustained injuries after a landslide near Meenakshi Bridge at Kalladi in Wayanad on Tuesday.

Seven others are also missing following the landslide that occured at Wayanad end of the Anakkampoyil–Kalladi tunnel road project.

Advertisement

Terming the incident a “very unfortunate tragedy” Kerala Chief Minister VD Satheesan said that he has directed Revenue Minister A.P. Anil Kumar and Agriculture Minister T. Siddique to reach the spot.

“In the wake of the landslide near Meenakshi Bridge at Kalladi in Wayanad, the government reviewed the situation. An emergency meeting was held with Agriculture Minister T. Siddique, who is from the district. Directions have been issued to coordinate rescue operations without delay. Revenue Minister A.P. Anil Kumar and Agriculture Minister T. Siddique have been directed to proceed to Wayanad immediately. I also spoke with the District Collector over the phone,” CM Satheesan said on X.

Wayanad Lok Sabha MP Priyanka Gandhi has also spoken to the Wayanad District Collector to take stock of the situation.

The landslide near Meenakshi Bridge where the Wayanad end of the tunnel road project is under construction was also caught on camera.

The video that has since gone viral shows massive heaps of excavated earth stacked at the site sliding down and burying parts of the work area.

The incident followed exceptionally heavy rainfall in Meppadi, which recorded 226 mm of rain in the past 24 hours.

The area is a popular tourist stop, and several private vehicles, along with a bus used to transport construction workers, were parked nearby when the mudslide occurred. Rescue personnel fear that people may still be trapped beneath the debris.

After chairing an emergency review meeting at the Kerala State Disaster Management Authority (KSDMA) headquarters here, Satheesan said rescue teams are working despite incessant rain severely hampering operations.

“The latest information available with us is that one person has died, seven are in hospital, and seven others are missing. Rescue operations are continuing on a war footing,” he told reporters.

In a significant disclosure, Satheesan said the authorities had repeatedly directed the construction company to remove the huge quantities of excavated earth that had been piled up at the site.

A formal government order to this effect had been issued on June 20, but the company failed to comply.

“Any project under execution has to strictly follow safety norms. It is extremely unfortunate that such an incident has occurred,” he said, adding that Revenue Minister A.P. Anil Kumar and Agriculture Minister T. Siddique had been directed to rush to Wayanad to supervise the rescue operations.

Talking to the media before leaving for the accident site, Siddique said preliminary findings pointed to the manner in which excavated earth had been dumped at the tunnel construction site.

“What is emerging from the spot is that the ongoing tunnel excavation and the storage of excavated earth at the site led to the disaster. Injured people are in hospital, and their condition is stable. Two National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams are reaching the site, while fire force personnel are already engaged in rescue operations,” the minister said.

He said the initial assessment suggested that the mud had been stored in an unscientific manner despite concerns having been raised earlier.

“This is not a natural landslide. This is a man-made disaster,” Siddique said, adding that the government would examine whether action had been taken after the earlier warnings.

(With inputs from agencies)