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More than seven hours after a landslip hit Kerala’s Wayanad, the death toll has risen to five. Three persons remain missing in the disaster that struck the twin tunnel construction site in Kalladi in Wayanad’s Meppadi panchayat on Tuesday, July 7.
The incident occurred before noon on Tuesday. According to reports, the soil removed for the tunnel construction was piled on one side of the site. Following heavy rains, this was washed downhill, causing the landslip.
Speaking with the media, state’s Minister of Public Works PK Basheer confirmed the death toll. He said that rescue operations will continue to find the missing persons. The deceased are reportedly migrant workers engaged in the tunnel construction work.
Ministers T Siddique and AP Anil Kumar reached the landslip site by 7.15 pm on Tuesday evening and spoke with rescue personnel.
According to reports, around 100 personnel from the Fire and Rescue Services are engaged in rescue operations. The operation also includes National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and Civil Defence teams.
A fire and rescue official named Arun told Asianet News that rescue personnel will continue the operation for as long as possible through the night and resume again in the morning if necessary. “Our current plan is to deploy about five excavators simultaneously and work continuously to clear the debris,” he said.
Describing the rescue efforts, he said, “We were initially blocked because a large amount of soil had accumulated near the [Meenakshi] bridge. We have been working to remove that blockage. At first, excavators couldn't get through, but now we have almost completely cleared the bridge area and opened up a path. Once that's done, we'll move in the excavators one by one. That will allow us to carry out a much deeper excavation.”
Rescue equipment arriving from Meppadi direction has to cross the Meenakshi bridge in Kalladi on the Meppadi-Chooralmala road, to reach the landslip location.
Arun also said that in many places, the debris piled up to around 10 to 20 feet in some areas, and even more in others. “It consists of boulders, rocks, concrete, and other rubble,” the official added. A bus stop, mosque, and house have reportedly been submerged by the landslip.
As search and rescue operations progress, residents from the vicinity of the landslip area have been shifted to a relief camp at the Government Polytechnic College in Meppadi. More than 80 persons from over 25 families have reportedly been moved to the camp.
Government blames contractor
Earlier in the day, Chief Minister VD Satheesan had said that the project contractor had failed to remove the mud that had accumulated as a result of the tunnel construction, despite instructions from both the district collector and the Disaster Management authorities regarding the timely.
The twin tunnel project is being executed by Konkan Railway Corporation Ltd, with construction works carried out by Dilip Buildcon.
Minister Basheer too placed responsibility on the project contractor, recollecting that he had recently conducted a meeting with Konkan Railway Corporation. “I used to see the soil piled on one side of the site while traveling. On June 25, officials visited the site and instructed them to halt the construction during monsoon season. Later I chaired a meeting in Thiruvananthapuram. What happened now needs to be checked,” he added. He added that the low number of labourers at the site during the landslip was due to the government’s earlier instruction to halt work during heavy rains.
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) state president and MLA Rajeev Chandrasekhar said the government and PWD cannot shirk responsibility by placing the blame on the contractor. “The government admitted that the tragedy was caused by the large quantity of soil. They must explain where the officials responsible for the supervision were,” he wrote on Facebook.
Leader of Opposition Pinarayi Vijayan said that a serious investigation is needed to identify any lapse or negligence on the part of the authorities responsible. In a social media post, he expressed his grief to the family. He urged the government to ensure immediate financial assistance to the families of the deceased and provide free treatment for those injured.
Notably, the tunnel opening site in Kalladi is a little over 2 km from Puthumala where 17 people died in a landslide in 2019 and 5 kms from Choorlamala where more than 250 people died in landslides in 2024.